Isolation reconsidered: Jebel Barakah and Middle Palaeolithic landscape use — first results of the Al Dhafra Palaeolithic Project
Keywords:
Middle Palaeolithic, Al Dhafra, lithic technology, raw material, lithic toolkitAbstract
Until recently, only a single Palaeolithic site was known in the Al Dhafra Region of Abu Dhabi Emirate, UAE. Jebel Barakah was first discovered as an archaeological site in the 1990s. Subsequent field visits in the 2000s led to the identification of four additional find-spots surrounding the same outcrop. The recovered lithic assemblage was attributed to the Middle Palaeolithic. The presence of a single isolated Palaeolithic site within such a vast area appeared highly improbable. The Al Dhafra Palaeolithic Project was therefore launched and initial fieldwork and lithic analyses were conducted in early 2025. A comprehensive reassessment of Jebel Barakah revealed that the site extends over c.6.5 km2. The expanded collection offers detailed insights into lithic technology and human behaviour, indicating that raw material procurement and toolkit maintenance were the primary activities conducted at the site. Tools related to food acquisition and domestic activities are scarce, suggesting that these tasks probably took place at other, yet unidentified locations. Three additional Middle Palaeolithic sites were identified in the surveys. This demonstrates that Jebel Barakah is not an isolated occurrence, but rather part of a broader pattern of Middle Palaeolithic occupation in the Al Dhafra Region.
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