I. A. SVOBODA
(WESTERN DESERT, EGYPT)

Institute of Archeology of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Brno

Institute of Archaeology, AS CR, Brno

Center for Paleolithic and Paleoethnological Research

69129 Dolni Vestonice, Czech Republic

E-mail: svoboda@iabrno.cz

Bahariya Oasis

Bahariya is one of several Western Desert oases spread over a wide area between two important prehistoric provinces of Northeast Africa: the Nile Valley (Egypt) to the east and Cyrenaica (Libya) to the west. The oasis is located between 27°48' and 28°30 'n .. 28°35' and 29° 10 ' e. It is an oval depression 94 km long, 42 km wide on a desert plateau, surrounded by marginal cliffs. Its bottom, occupied mainly by the desert, is dotted with numerous conical and table mountains, as well as mountain ranges. The height of the base of the depression is about 120-130 m above sea level, and the cliffs along its edges rise about 150 m higher.

While the marginal cliffs surrounding the southern part of Baharia are composed of cretaceous limestones with outcrops of siliceous shale, some mountains within the depression are formed mainly as a result of erosion of Eocene deposits, and some are also covered (and protected) by layers of dense ferruginous sandstones and quartzites of Oligocene age. Both siliceous shale and quartzite were used as raw materials in prehistoric stone industries.

Numerous fossil lakes and lake deposits (mud bowls, or plaques) recorded in shallow drainless basins indicate that the bottom of the oasis in ancient times had much more moisture than in historical times, including modern times. The available radiocarbon date for the lower reaches of Playa deposits does not exceed 26 Ka BP (Hv-8319), and the shells of ostrich eggs from archaeological sites in the vicinity of another playa are 7-8 Ka BP (GrA-26161, GrA-26162). The relief of the southern part of Bahariya, formed by loose tertiary deposits with inclusions of harder rocks, is structured in tiers created by solid deposits on several levels.

Exploration activities 2003-2005

Unlike other oases in the Western Desert, which already yielded a large amount of prehistoric data (Caton-Thompson, 1946; Schild and Wendorf, 1977, 1981; Dakhlen Oasis Project, 2000; Barich and Hassan, 2000), Bahariya remained poorly studied (Fakhry, 1942; Hassan, 1979). Establishing the fact of Paleolithic settlement of this territory and collecting relevant data was carried out during a project organized by the Czech Institute of Egyptology and Charles University (Prague) with the participation of the Research Center for Paleolithic and Paleoethnology at the Institute of Archaeology in Brno [Barta, Bruna, Svoboda, Verner, 2003; Barta, Brana, Cerny et al., 2004; Svoboda, 2004].

When choosing sites for settlements, the following factors were strategically important: the availability of water, raw stone outlets, and a good overview of the area. The structured nature of the landscape determined the search strategy: the surfaces of different types of terrain were studied, with a special focus on the study of landforms.-

page 18

Attention was paid to ancient lakes (playas), outcrops of quartzite and siliceous rocks, as well as strategically important elevated areas. The bottom of the plains, including dry ravines (wadis) formed as a result of episodic water erosion, was unattractive for settlement. People especially avoided settling, apparently, on vast flat areas covered with weathered slabs of sandstone and ferruginous sandstone.

The study area extends from Jebel Miteili Radwani in the north to Jebel Gharbi in the south, covering an area of approximately 30 x 20 km. The coordinates of the sites where artifacts and clusters were found were recorded using a GPS navigator. Detailed maps were compiled using GPS Pathfinder Office 2.7 and Arc GIS 8.2. Materials from individual monuments and samples were documented square-wise, mapped, and statistically analyzed. The most representative artefacts were sketched and deposited with the Department of Antiquities and the Baviti Museum. Most of the finds were studied on site and left in situ.

Drilling of playa deposits, as well as spatial and typological analysis of other artefact accumulations, is expected to be carried out at the next stage of the project.

Acheulean (Early Stone Age)

Five single bifaces of siliceous shale and quartz were found at considerable distances from each other on the Bir el-Shawish plain and the Garth el-Sheikh hill (Figures 1-3). Two of them have undergone severe weathering. Judging by the different raw materials and the degree of weathering, bifaces are probably not simultaneous. The nature of their location-on a vast plain with a slight slope towards the mountain range-is quite typical for the Acheulean localities of North Africa (see, for example, Svoboda, 1980).

Figure 1. Distribution of Acheulean materials in Southern Baharia. Compiled by V. Bruna. a - sites of Acheulean woodcutting; b-lake deposits of Bir el Shawish Playa; c-main roads.

2. View of the Bir el-Shawish plain. In the distance, you can see the ancient lake of the same name, covered with sand dunes with sparse vegetation.

3. Samples of Acheulean cuttings from the Bir el-Shawish (a) and Garth es-Sheikh (b) localities.

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4. Distribution of Middle Paleolithic materials in Southern Baharia. Compiled by V. Bruna, a -places of discovery of Middle Paleolithic artifacts (numbers are sample numbers); b-lake deposits of the Bir el Sho Vish playa; c-main roads.

5. View of lake sediments and yardangs in the area of Umm al-Ohbain playa. In the distance, near the wadi, you can see the Epipaleolithic point 103.

Middle Paleolithic (Middle Stone Age)

Middle Paleolithic materials are most widely distributed in the studied area (Figure 4). Several types of localities were identified (samples of materials from each of them were analyzed):

1) cumulative settlements, which are characterized by a high percentage (10-20) of tools and a low percentage (6-12) of nuclei, are located near ancient reservoirs or on nearby terraces; artifacts are scattered over the surface, and their concentration is low (0.2-1.3 artifacts per 1 m2);

2) specialized workshops dedicated to the outcrops of siliceous rock in the plateau cliffs or to the quartzites covering the tops of individual mountain ridges; here there are almost no tools (less than 1 %) and, surprisingly, the percentage of nuclei is also low (approx. 5); the density of artefacts, mainly represented by flakes and plates, reaches the highest values for the studied area (approx. 24 per 1 m2).;

3) rare locations along the edges of the cliff, out of connection with raw material outlets or water sources. They may have served as hunting observation posts.

Isolated Middle Paleolithic artefacts were found throughout the studied area, at the bottom of the plain, on terraces and at the foot of mountains.

Cumulative settlements near the Playa

Umm al-Ohbain. These are lake deposits with characteristic yardangs on the surface, located in the center of a saucer-shaped depression at an altitude of about 145 m above sea level and surrounded by single mountains (Figure 5). The attractiveness of this area lies in the fact that neither in the historical past nor in our time it was not affected by human activity. Middle Paleolithic artifacts are scattered here at considerable distances from each other over the entire area of the ancient basin. Individual objects are found in the very center, on the surface of lake sediments, but saturated accumulations border the western shore of the lake, located approximately 30-50 m from the coastline. Three of them are 204 (28° 01'28.9" N, 28°65'70.2" E).), 304 (28°01'23,9" NW, 28°65 '66.3" E) and 404 (28°01 '21.6" N, 28°65 '59.4" e) - were selected for analysis (Table 1,2). The size of each cluster is 10x20 m, the long axis follows the coastline. The density of artefacts within their limits is relatively low (approx. 0.2-0.3 per 1 m2).

page 20

Table 1. Analyzed samples of Middle Paleolithic materials

Indicator
Sample number*

104

204

304

404

504

604

Absolute height, m

282

150

150

150

253

148

Coordinates: nw.

28°04'33,4"

28°01'28,9"

28°01 '23,9"

28°01 '21,6"

28°10'96,7"

28°02'33,6"

V. D.

28°67'11,8"

28°65'70,2"

28°65'66,3"

28°65'59,4"

28°75'50,0"

28°67'52,3"

Plot size, m

3x3

10x20

10x20

10x20

4x7

10x10

Number of artifacts

212

43

35

61

200

128

Artifact density (per 1 m2)
23,6

0,2

0,2

0,3

7,1

1,3

Ilam

22,9

15,6

11,1

10,9

19,4

13,1

Nuclei, %

5,2

7,0

11,4

-

2,0

6,3

Flakes, %

73,6

62,8

68,6

80,4

81,0

72,6

Plates, %

20,3

11,6

8,6

9,8

13,0

10,9

Retouched products, %

0,9

18,6

11,4

9,8

4,0

10,2

-----

104-Jebel al-Shawish; 204, 304, 404-Umm al-Ohbain; 504-White Mountain; 604-Mansaf.

As a raw material, mainly siliceous shale was used, the color of which varies from brownish to grayish, there is also brownish quartzite. The technology is Levallois in the broadest sense of the word. Nuclei are rare and are mainly represented by small residual nuclei (the smallest ones do not exceed 2 - 3 cm).

The size of most flakes varies from 2-3 to 5 - 6 cm, but there are a few exceptions (small chips of approx. 1.5 cm and large flakes up to 10 cm long). The average width of the plates is 2 cm, and their length usually does not exceed 6 cm. There are few Levallois flakes and plates, they have prepared sites, and some have convergent edges.

In terms of typology, sample 204 included two Mousterian cusps (one of them with a partially flat retouched belly), a scraper, a simple incisor, and a retouched plate; sample 304 included the tip of another cusp, a simple incisor, and a retouched plate; sample 404 included an elongated leaf-shaped tip, pointed flakes, a massive scraper, and a chisel-shaped article (Figure 6).

Mansaf. It is a neighboring playa with the highest yardangs and absolute elevations of approx. 145 m. The highest concentration of finds was recorded 150 m south of the coastline. Cluster 604 (28°02'33.6" N, 28°67'52.3" E) with a size of 10x10 m was selected for analysis (see Tables 1, 2). The industry based on brown siliceous shale and purple quartzites included a leaf-shaped tip, two Mousterian pinnacles on large Levallois flakes, other Levallois flakes, scrapers, simple chisel, and truncated plates (Fig. 7).

Artefacts have also been found at other sites, such as Ain Umm Habata (spearhead, skreblo), Bir Ain Naga (spearhead), and Playa GPS (Leval Loise flake).

Table 2. Typology of Middle Paleolithic industries

Category

Sample number*

104

204

304

404

504

604

Leaf-shaped points

-

-

-

1

-

1

Mousterian gables

_

2

1

_

2

Scraped it

-

3

-

-

1

Scrapers

-

-

-

-

1

-

Dredged tools

1

-

1

1

3

Jagged "

1

1

-

-

-

-

Chisel prominent "

-

-

-

-

-

Plates with retouching

-

1

1

1

-

Truncated plates

-

-

-

-

-

2

Incisors

-

1

1

-

-

1

Beak-shaped tools

-

-

-

-

1

-

Products with unsystematic retouching

Many

_

_

_

4

3

Total

2

8

4

6

8

13

* See note. go to Table 1.

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6. Middle Paleolithic industry with a leaf-shaped tip (raw material-brownish siliceous shale). Umm al-Ohbain.

7. Middle Paleolithic industry with a leaf-shaped tip (raw material-brownish siliceous shale). Playa Mansaf.

Workshops at the top of hills

Jebel al-Shawish. This is the dominant horseshoe-shaped ridge located about 3 km east of the Bir el-Shawish plain (Figure 8). Its peaks, forming several small plateaus, reach 270 - 280 m above sea level.m. The most saturated accumulations of Middle Paleolithic artifacts were recorded on them. Judging by the geomorphology of the area, rainwater accumulated in the saddle of the horseshoe ridge during favorable periods, and as a result of occasional runoff, steep narrow wadis formed. The highest part of the ridge is protected from erosion by a dense weathering crust of siliceous and ferruginous sandstones and quartzites. Several types of raw materials are found here: dark brown and purple quartzites, which were the most widely distributed and used ornamental materials; light brown and yellow quartzites, which are found only in some places and were rarely used in prehistoric times (but more often in the historical period); and brownish and reddish siliceous shale. Most of the artifacts are made of dark brown quartzite, while a smaller part is made of brown siliceous shale. So about-

Figure 8. Jebel al-Shawish. Locations-workshops.

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at the same time, in terms of the composition of raw materials, monuments located on higher elevations give a picture that is the opposite of that observed on the playa.

The nuclei from the workshops are mostly Levallois (Fig. 9). They are flat, rounded, sub-rectangular or triangular in shape; average size: 8x5x2 cm. Both surfaces are more or less carefully prepared. There are preforms, but most cores carry negatives of one or two shots taken from the same site. Some of the planar nuclei are disk-shaped. More massive nuclei in general and more amorphous. With a relatively high proportion of plates in the analyzed sample, the absence of corresponding nuclei is striking.

Flakes and plates are mostly Levallois; some of them have carefully prepared impact pads, and the shape is oval, quadrangular or pointed. The size of flakes varies from small (1x1 cm) to large (10x10 cm). The plates are divided into two groups: small, with a width of approx. 1 cm, up to 5 cm long, and large, respectively 1 - 3 and 8 - 10 cm. Occasionally there are instances of 4x12 cm in size.

If you do not take into account artifacts with irregular edge retouching, then real tools in this case are extremely rare. There are several amorphous bifacial products (possibly preforms of leaf-shaped tips), contested incisors, serrated and notched products. Statistical data were obtained from a sample of 104 (see Tables 1 and 2) taken from a 3 x 3 m square (28°04 '33.4" N, 28°67 '11.8" E) at an absolute height of 282 m. This is one of the peak sections associated with the saddle of the mountain range. There are outcrops of dark brown and purple quartzites typical of the area, and a small outlet of reddish siliceous shale is located nearby. Artefacts form a cluster 20-30 m wide, extending along a slightly gentle slope from the raw material outlets to the saddle. A total of 212 items were recorded; their density is 23.6 per 1 m2. It seems that the attractiveness of the Jebel al-Shawish mountain range in comparison with other mountainous areas was not only in the presence of raw material outlets (they are also present at other locations), but also in its dominant position over the Bir el-Shawish lake area.

"Black Mountain". This is the dominant ridge (320 m above sea level), located about 6 km further to the northeast (28°08 '53.4" N, 28°70 '29.0" E). Another workshop, smaller in size but similar in character, was found here. The artefacts formed a cluster of 20 meters in diameter on the upper platform, and were also scattered further down the slope. Other mountains with quartzite and siliceous shale outcrops on the peaks examined during the search either had no artifacts at all, or only isolated finds were found (nameless table Mountain, 28°14 '92.9" N, 28°71'76.6" E; Miteili-Radvani, 28°21'85.3" N, 28°74 '94.9" E).

Jebel el Gharbi. This cretaceous limestone plateau (250 m above sea level, 28°03'46.5" N, 28°59'66.0" E) is located southeast of the Bir el Shawish plain. Here, a small location is recorded on the cliff surface-a workshop. The working area of approximately 1.5 m in diameter was confined to the outcrops of banded siliceous shale with a color ranging from light grayish to green. In the center there was a large nucleus in the initial stage of cleavage, and around it about 10 large Levallois flakes that could not be repaired.Other Levallois products were scattered at a considerable distance from each other.

Point at the top of Table Mountain

"White Mountain". It is an isolated plateau with a height of 250 m above sea level, composed of cretaceous limestone-

9. Middle Paleolithic quartzite nuclei. Jebel al-Shawish.

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mi. It is not visited by humans, and therefore the ancient surfaces have been preserved intact. The limestones here are very poor in stone raw materials, there are only nodules of dark brown siliceous shale, the size of which does not exceed several centimeters. The only source of moisture in this area could be rainwater, and even then only in the most favorable periods (there are traces of water erosion on the slopes). Nevertheless, an undisturbed location of artefacts was found at an elevation near the southern edge of the plateau cliff (28°10 '96.7" N, 28°75 ' 5.0 " E) (sample 504; see Tables 1, 2). The size of the studied area is 4x7 m; the long axis is oriented along the west-west line.east. The average density of artefacts is 7.1 per 1 m2 (Fig.

Dark brown siliceous shale was the dominant type of raw material at this locality, while light grayish banded shale was used less frequently. The main cluster of finds with a diameter of 2 m, located in the eastern part of the site, consisted mainly of fragments, plates and flakes without a crust. Nuclei are represented exclusively by small residual instances. The dimensions of most flakes are 3x4 cm, and the plates are 2x5 cm (with the exception of one 3x9 cm). A smaller cluster, about 1 m in diameter, was located near the western boundary of the site. The flakes here are somewhat larger (5x6 cm); crusty specimens are more common. Even further to the west, outside the clusters, two flat nuclei were found - the largest at this location (7x8 and 6x7 cm). Approximately 6 m from the main cluster, there was a large (7x12 cm) Levallois point-perhaps the most important find on this monument.

Thus, both the size and type of artifacts seem to change as you move from the west of the site to the east: the largest chips and nuclei are located in its eastern part, and clusters of small chips and fragments are located in the western part.

Resume

The variability in the types of Middle Paleolithic sites observed in the Bahariya Oasis raises a number of questions: is it due to chronological or functional differences; how do the playa sites and workshops in the mountains relate to each other; and are the morphological differences between artifacts from these sites a reflection of the classical settlement dichotomy?/ workshop.

Leaf-shaped cusps are known in the complexes of the Sahara Ater. At the Bir-Sakha and Bir-Tarfavi localities, Aterian elements appear at the beginning of the Middle Paleolithic, whereas in the Maghreb, a typical Aterian is presumably dated in the range of 60-40 Ka BP, although these dates need to be confirmed. An equally late dating of the Middle Paleolithic of Bahariya with its leaf-shaped cusps would correspond to the relatively small size of some of the nuclei and flakes, which are traditionally considered "late"in Nubia and Egypt. The composition of the accompanying tools, including retouched plates, scrapers, scrapers and Mousterian pegs, is typically Middle Paleolithic. Among the nuclei, flat Levallois nuclei predominate, sometimes very small in size, and in general there is no noticeable tendency in the technology to bulk splitting, the use of rib chips, and in general to produce plates (Ilam varies from 10 to 16).

Workshops at higher elevations are likely to have been used for a longer period of time than those located at the bottom of the parking lot. The general Levallois character of the cleavage indicates the Middle Paleolithic in the broadest sense, but the presence of a number of "archaic" flakes in the workshops, on the one hand, and several rib plates and small plates, on the other, indicates a higher technological variability compared to that recorded for the sites near the Playa. Of course, the presence of biface preforms suggests that at least some of the workshops were associated with the predominant Middle Paleolithic sites with leaf-shaped points on the plain. However, quartzites originating from mountain outcrops are rare on the playa. Also, oddly enough, the laminosity index is

Fig. 10. "White Mountain". A scattering of artifacts from brown siliceous shale. A limestone plateau can be seen in the background.

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It is higher in workshops than in parking lots (Ilam = 23). Thus, contrary to expectations, there is no direct evidence of products coming from the mountains to the plain.

Epipaleolithic (Late Stone Age)

In contrast to earlier materials scattered over large areas, Epipaleolithic sites are smaller, more compact, and have more clearly defined boundaries (Figure 11). In fact, they can be divided into two types. The first is the settlements around the ancient lakes and the playa. In this group, you can distinguish between sites on lakes that served as a place of settlement in historical (Roman) times, such as Bir el Shawish and Bir Ain Naga, and sites near the playa without traces of late settlement. Naturally, the latter are more promising for finding intact prehistoric monuments. At some of these sites, the density of artefacts reaches 5-20 per 1 m2. To date, only two of them have been subjected to spatial and statistical analysis (samples 103, 203; Tables 3, 4). The second type of monuments is associated with higher areas of workshops at the outcrops of siliceous shale, also characterized by a relatively high density of artifacts (Jebel Gharbi).

Ancient lake settlements

Bir el Shawish. This vast fossil lake, now partially covered by thick sand dunes, was intensively inhabited in historical times (Barta, Bruna, Svoboda, Verner, 2003; Barta, Bruna, Cerny et al., 2004). Here, among the materials of the Roman period, single plates and terochniki were found.

Bir Ain Naga. Another fossil lake, also covered with powerful sand dunes, which actively settled down in historical times. Nevertheless, an undisturbed cluster of artifacts with a diameter of 10 m was found here (sample 203; 27°98 '02.2" N, 28°68 '43.2" E). This complex included a blunted tip, a tip with a petiole (Neolithic admixture?), a chisel on a plate, and plates with retouched edges. edges (fig. 12). The cluster was partially blocked by a low-power dune.

Umm al-Ohbain. Isolated epipaleolithic artifacts are scattered around this playa, but a cluster of finds covering an area of 6x6 m was found near its north-western shore at the entrance to the wadi of the western strike (item 103; 28°01 '36.5"

Figure 11. Distribution of epipaleolithic materials

in Southern Bahariya. Locations: 1-Bir al-Shawish, 2-Bir Ain Naga (point 203), 3-Umm al-Ohbain (point 103), 4-Mansaf, 5 - Pod Zubom Playa, 6-GPS Playa, 7-Pyramid Playa, 8 - Jebel Gharbi, a -individual finds; b - clusters of artifacts; c-workshop for primary processing of raw materials. See Figure 4 for the rest of the service requirements.

Table 3. Analyzed samples of epipaleolithic materials

Indicator

Sample number*

103

203

Absolute height, m

150

130

Coordinates: nw.

28°01 '36,5"

27°98'02,2"

V. D.

28°65'80,3"

28°68'43,2"

Plot size, m

3x6

3x3

Number of artifacts

110

162

Artifact density (per 1 m2)
6,1

18

Ilam

29

8

Nuclei (copies)

-

2

Flakes (copies)

70

140

Plates (copies)

29

13

Retouched products (copies)

11

7

* 103 - Umm al-Ohbain; 203-Bir Ain Naga.

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See Table 4. Typology of Epipaleolithic plants

Category

Sample number*

103

203

Elongated triangles

2

-

Points with a blunted edge

2

1

Microplates with a blunted edge

2

-

Tips with petiole

-

1

Incisors

-

1

Plates with retouching

5

1

Wreckage with retouching

-

3

Total

11

7

-----

* See note. go to Table 3.

NW, 28°65 '80.3" E) (see Figure 5). Two elongated triangular microliths were found here, as well as plates with a blunted edge and plates with retouching on both edges (Figure 13). There were also larger rocks in the same area. Ostrich eggshells collected here gave two radiocarbon dates: 8155 ± 45 BP (GrA-26162) and 6920 ± 45 BP (GrA-26161).

Mansaf. On the surface of the lake deposits of this playa (28°02 '48.7" N, 28°67 '68.5" E), both single items and small clusters of artifacts were found. Two large quartzite grater cores (28x20x12 and 36x22x13 cm) with impact marks on the working surface were found here, as well as cubic nuclei for microplates, plates, plates, and flakes (Fig. 14).

Pod Zubom Playa. A cluster of artefacts measuring 5. 5x7 m (28°11'33.37" N,28°69'90.0" E) was found near this small and shallow playa near the mountain of a characteristic jagged shape. Their density is about 5-10 per 1 m2. Among the finds are bipolar and single-site nuclei for microplates, numerous plates and plates (including those with a sharp end), and wood chips. There were also larger rocks and ostrich eggshells. The cluster was partially covered by Aeolian sands.

GPS playa. In this shallow playa, two localities have been discovered, as well as a number of isolated artifacts (flakes, terochniki) scattered along the ancient coastline. At the eastern locality (28°12'38.0" N, 28°70'72.1" E), two quartzite terochniki (dimensions: 22x14. 5x2 and 21x13x2. 5 cm) with impact marks on the working surface (Fig.15) and several microplates and flakes were found. The western location located opposite (28°12'72.0" N, 28°70'32.6" E) was a dense cluster of artifacts (15-20 by 1 m2). It had an oval shape,measuring 4x2. 5 m. Among the finds are shortened (cubic) nuclei for microplates, single-site and bipolar ones, as well as plates, plates and flakes.

Pyramid Play area. Along the shoreline of this vast but shallow playa, only a few islands have been found.

12. Epipaleolithic stone products made of siliceous shale. Bir Ain Naga.

13. Epipaleolithic stone products made of siliceous shale. Umm al-Ohbain.

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14. Two quartzite terochniks found in situ. Playa Mansaf. Yardangi is in the background.

Fig. 15. GPS playa. In the foreground is a quartzite terochnik found in situ near the coastline of ancient Playa.

16. Stone products from the Epipaleolithic workshop. Jebel Gharbi.

isolated artifacts and small clusters. One of them, with a diameter of approx. 5 m (28°15 '89.4" N, 28°75 '59.0" E), contained a terochnik fragment together with cubic micronuclei, plates and lamellae. Among the isolated finds that lay at a considerable distance from each other, there is a large terochnik (30x30x12 cm), several plates and nuclei.

Workshops

Jebel Gharbi (Gherd bir el Jebel). The limestone plateau at the southwestern edge of the cliff is covered with a layer of pebbles of siliceous shale, among which there are occasional artifacts. However, there is also a specialized workshop for the production of plates and microplates, which occupies an area of approximately 30 m in diameter (28°02 '81.5" N, 28°59 '14.3" E). Stone tools include prismatic and cubic nuclei shortened in comparison with them, as well as numerous removed from these nuclei. plates, two of which can be repaired (fig. 16).

Resume

Although only two Epipaleolithic localities (samples 103 and 203) have been spatially and statistically analyzed so far, some general characteristics of the area's epipaleolithic can be given now. The materials of the Jebel Gharbi workshop indicate that the emphasis was placed on obtaining plates and microplates from prismatic and cubic nuclei - bipolar and single-site. The sites associated with the playa contain the same or similar types of siliceous shale, sometimes supplemented by quartzite. The nuclei here are smaller and shorter, their shape is closer to cubic, but, nevertheless, they also served mainly for the production of plates and microplates. Guns are relatively rare. Among the most significant types are microliths-triangles at the Umm al-Ohbain site, where they are accompanied by plates and microplates with re-

page 27

with ink or a blunted edge. According to radiocarbon dates, this location is relatively late (about 7-6 thousand years BC), but in order to more accurately establish the chronology of the Bahar Epipaleolithic, we also need to date other monuments.

Typical finds for Epipaleolithic localities are terocene rocks, mostly quartzite (see Figs. 14, 15; see also [Banks, 1980]). They are large stone blocks or slabs with clearly visible rounded impact marks on the working surfaces. Judging by the nature of the footprints and by their analogies, these stones could have been used for grinding grains and / or breaking harder substances of plant origin (such as nuts, tubers, rhizomes) or even for grinding ochre. An additional indication of their possible functions is provided by the context of these finds, i.e. they occur near the shorelines of ancient lakes along with a small number of flakes or plates, but mainly outside of dense clusters of artifacts.

Preliminary conclusions: climate, settlement patterns, and stone processing technologies

In areas currently dominated by arid and hyper-arid conditions, archaeological evidence of active human development may reflect the existence of some wetter periods in the past. Although the Bahariya Oasis has not yet been sufficiently investigated in this regard, the preliminary results give a very definite picture (Table 1). 5), especially when compared with similar data for other oases in the Western Desert.

Scanty Acheulean artefacts from the Bir el-Shawish plain mark the beginning of prehistoric settlement in southern Bahariya. The main directions of development identified for the Middle Paleolithic stage following Acheulean are the replacement of chops with leaf-shaped points (supplemented by Mousterian points and scrapers) and, probably, the reduction in the size of nuclei and chips. These trends are, in principle, conservative, and there is absolutely no tendency to increase the production of plates or to use Upper Paleolithic technology. Parallel development, both in terms of population dynamics and technology, has been recorded for the Fayum and Kharga oases (Caton-Thompson, 1946), as well as for Dakhla (Schild and Wendorf, 1977; Dakhlen Oasis Project, 2000), Bir Sahara, and Bir Tarfavi (Schild and Wendorf, 1981], etc. However, the climate of Northeast Africa in the Middle Paleolithic period was unstable, and its fluctuations apparently influenced cultural development (Paulissen and Vermeersch, 1987; Rognon, 1989). In addition, it should be noted that in general, this region is a mosaic of several technological trends, including those characterized by an increase in plate production.

Excavations in the area of Taramsa in the Nile Valley revealed an industry in which, as can be seen from numerous repair collections, the Levallois concept was adapted to produce elongated blanks and plates, but tools of the Upper Paleolithic types were absent. Judging by the OSL dates, the age of this industry, called "taramsan", is about 60 thousand years, although the OSL dates for the burial of a modern anatomical child associated with it are not so unambiguous due to their greater dispersion [Peer, van, 2004; Peer, van, Vermeersch, 2005]. After 37 KA BP, the trend towards leptolitization in the Nile Valley is completed in the Upper Paleolithic industry of Nazlet Khater, where there are also burials of modern people (Vermeersch, 2002; Crevecoeur and Trinkaus, 2004).

Another important sequence of events is represented in the Haua-Fteach cave in Cyrenaica (McBurney, 1967). At the base here are

See Table 5. Presence of artefacts at locations associated with fossil lakes and playas

Period

Bir El-Shawish

Ain Naga

Umm al-Ohbain

Mansaf

"Tooth"

GPS

Piramida

Acheulean

Few

-

-

-

-

-

-

Middle Paleolithic

"

Few

Many

Many

-

Very little

Very little

Epipaleolithic

"

Many

"

Few

Many

Many

Few

Historical

Many

"

Very little

Very little

-

-

Very little

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Middle Paleolithic plate complexes (Preorignac, according to K. McBurney), followed by the Levallois industry on flakes, and then the Dabban culture with a developed technology for the production of plates with a blunted edge and with tools of Upper Paleolithic types (with radiocarbon dates of about 31-26 thousand years AGO). Bores and plates with a blunted edge account for 25-47% of tools, incisors - 18-23%, and scrapers - 12-22%, while products with a transverse chamfer (chanfreins) play a significant role only in complexes from the lower Dabban layers (Bordes, 1976-1977). It should be emphasized here that if we want to advance our understanding of the prehistory of North-East Africa, we need to continue excavations at the Haua-Fteah cave and obtain new materials and dates.

Parts of North-East Africa formed, along with Western Asia (where industries such as Emiran and Ahmarian existed), the most important center of technological progress. The Taramsan of the Nile Valley and the Dabban of Cyrenaica may have influenced (each industry in its own way) the origin and distribution of larger cultural formations that emerged somewhat later in Eurasia: first, the levallois-leptolytic industries (bogunisien), and second, the industries with blunted edge plates (gravette) [Svoboda, 2005].

The Middle Paleolithic complexes with leaf-like points found in Bahariya have little connection with these progressive trends. The lack of archaeological materials intermediate between the Middle and Epipaleolithic even allows for the long-term existence of Middle Paleolithic industries in this area. However, it seems even more likely that during the cold, windy and dusty period of "Upper Paleolithic hyperaridity", which is recorded both in the Nile Valley and in the Sahara (Paulissen and Vermeersch 1987; Rognon 1989), people did not live in Bahariya.

The Epipaleolithic stage of settlement opens up the Holocene history of southern Baharia. It is associated with the period of humidification, and the monuments are located near the shorelines of ancient lakes (see Table 5). Two radiocarbon dates for the Umm al-Oh-Bayn site seem relatively late for the Epipaleolithic (7-6 thousand years BC), but they fully correspond to radiocarbon data on the time of activation of habitation by the Epipaleolithic period. and the Neolithic population of other Western Desert oases (Fayum, Farafra, Dakhla, etc.) [Kobusiewicz, 1976; Barich and Hassan, 2000; Nicoll, 2001].

Artifacts that can be safely attributed to the Neolithic (ceramics or characteristic tools) have not yet been found in Southern Baharia, with the possible exception of one petiolate tip (see Fig. 13, N 1). Historical and especially Roman materials indicate a sharp increase in the population and the scale of human activity, which, however, is associated only with the areas of the largest lakes, such as Bir el-Shawish, Bir Ain Naga, etc. [Barta et al., 2003, 2004]. Rare shards from the historical period have been found in some of the platas (Umm al-Ohbain, Mansaf, "Pyramid"), but others ("Under the Tooth", GPS) do not show any traces of human habitation after the Epipaleolithic, since then, probably, there was no water here anymore. This type of settlement serves as an indirect indication of the progressive desertification of Baharia in the post-Epipaleolithic period.

Acknowledgements

This study was carried out as part of an archaeological exploration project organized by the Czech Institute of Egyptology and Charles University of Prague (2003-2005). I owe the invitation to take part in it to Miroslav Werner and Miroslav Barta. I would also like to thank the Cambridge University Museum for the opportunity to study materials from the Haua Fteach Cave (Libya) and J. van der Plicht (University of Groningen). for radiocarbon dating of Umm al-Ohbain. Permission to carry out the work was issued by the Standing Committee of the Supreme Council of Antiquities of Egypt.

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The article was submitted to the Editorial Board on 11.01.05.

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