Nubian cores along the coast of the central Levantine corridor: exploring technical variability of Levallois points in Lebanon

Nubian Levallois technology constitutes a specific variation of the Levallois point production method, its most distinctive feature being the use of the distal platform to create and maintain the medial distal ridge of the core. The geographical spread and chronological range of this technology remain highly contested. Save for the sites addressed in this article, Middle Palaeolithic sites with Nubian technology are found in desert environments. However, the few dated sites from the Southern Levant, North Africa, and Arabia indicate human occupations during heightened precipitation and increased landscape carrying capacity during Marine Isotope Stage 5. Furthermore, known occurrences have been found away from the coast, along now-dried river systems, plateaus and lakes within the interior. Here, we report on the variability of Levallois point production systems used along the Lebanese coast, a highly dynamic setting repeatedly occupied from the Lower Palaeolithic onwards. We present an overview of Middle Palaeolithic Levallois point production systems across the central Levantine corridor, emphasising Nubian Levallois points and cores from Lebanon. Based on our study, we suggest humans' recurrent use of the Mediterranean and coastal areas of Lebanon using different Levallois production methods, including Nubian Levallois reduction systems.