The Yabrudian industry of Dederiyeh Cave, Northwest Syria

Yabrudian lithic assemblages, defined with materials from the late Lower Palaeolithic sites of the Central Levant, have rarely been found in the Northern Levant. This paper reports the discovery of comparable lithic assemblages at the Dederiyeh Cave, northwest Syria. A techno-typological analysis of the materials from the 2005 season’s excavations revealed their strong affinities with the Yabrudian of the Central Levant, indicating the distribution of this industry up to the northern end of the Levant. This finding provides a regional perspective to help interpret the variability of the Acheulo-Yabrudian Cultural Complex encompassing Yabrudian, as well as the Yabrudian industry itself.