100th century BCE – 85th century BCE
Jebel el-Akhdar, Cyrenaica, northeastern Libya
The Eastern Oranian was an Epi-Palaeolithic bladelet industry of Cyrenaica that replaced the Dabban at Haua Fteah and Hagfet et-Tera around 12,000 BC. It shared typological and technological similarities with the Iberomaurusian of the Maghrib, especially its abundant small backed blades, but its precise relationship to western North African traditions remains uncertain. The industry lasted until approximately 8,500 BC or slightly later.
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The Story
Around 12,000 BC, the Eastern Oranian replaced the Dabban at Haua Fteah and at the nearby site of Hagfet et-Tera. It received its name from similarities with the Iberomaurusian, also called the Oranian, of the Maghrib. These resemblances are most visible in the strong emphasis on small backed blades, which sometimes reached microlithic dimensions.
At one level of Haua Fteah, small backed blades represented approximately 98 percent of the total worked pieces. The nuclei were usually small, and bone tools were rare. The Eastern Oranian lasted from about 12,000 BC to approximately 8,500 BC or slightly later, making it a major Epi-Palaeolithic sequence in Cyrenaica.
The inhabitants adapted their subsistence to contrasting settings. At coastal Haua Fteah, Barbary sheep was the principal game, while gazelle dominated the hunted fauna at Hagfet et-Tera on the desert margin. Equids, bovids, rabbits, and snails were also consumed. Two fragmentary mandibles indicate the presence of fully modern sapiens in Cyrenaica by this time, although the broader origins and connections of the industry remain unclear.
100th century BCE – 85th century BCE
Jebel el-Akhdar, Cyrenaica, northeastern Libya
The Eastern Oranian was an Epi-Palaeolithic bladelet industry of Cyrenaica that replaced the Dabban at Haua Fteah and Hagfet et-Tera around 12,000 BC. It shared typological and technological similarities with the Iberomaurusian of the Maghrib, especially its abundant small backed blades, but its precise relationship to western North African traditions remains uncertain. The industry lasted until approximately 8,500 BC or slightly later.
Continue exploring
The Story
Around 12,000 BC, the Eastern Oranian replaced the Dabban at Haua Fteah and at the nearby site of Hagfet et-Tera. It received its name from similarities with the Iberomaurusian, also called the Oranian, of the Maghrib. These resemblances are most visible in the strong emphasis on small backed blades, which sometimes reached microlithic dimensions.
At one level of Haua Fteah, small backed blades represented approximately 98 percent of the total worked pieces. The nuclei were usually small, and bone tools were rare. The Eastern Oranian lasted from about 12,000 BC to approximately 8,500 BC or slightly later, making it a major Epi-Palaeolithic sequence in Cyrenaica.
The inhabitants adapted their subsistence to contrasting settings. At coastal Haua Fteah, Barbary sheep was the principal game, while gazelle dominated the hunted fauna at Hagfet et-Tera on the desert margin. Equids, bovids, rabbits, and snails were also consumed. Two fragmentary mandibles indicate the presence of fully modern sapiens in Cyrenaica by this time, although the broader origins and connections of the industry remain unclear.