The Middle to Upper Paleolithic Transition in the Zagros: The Appearance and Evolution of the Baradostian

Abstract

During oxygen isotope stage 3, the widespread emergence of Early Upper Paleolithic technologies signals significant changes in human behaviors. These profound changes are usually attributed to new major dispersals of Anatomically Modern Humans in Western Eurasia and the process of Neanderthals extinction and their replacement by Anatomically Modern humans. New lines of evidence and studies from pertinent geographical regions are essential to improve current explanatory models and hypotheses. The Zagros Mountain range in the west of Iran with its Intermountain eco-cultural niches is one of the areas that increasingly contribute to our knowledge of the transitional period from Middle to Upper Paleolithic in Southwestern Asia. This paper examines the lithic-based dominant hypothesis of continuity in Zagros through a more technology oriented view and put together all the evidence to build a broader overview of the Baradostian or the Early Upper Paleolithic of Zagros and its industrial evolution.