Going Microlithic: A Levantine Perspective on the Adoption of Microlithic Technologies

The shift to microlithic technologies is a widespread phenomenon over much of the globe during the late Pleistocene and early Holocene. The occurrence of microliths in diverse geographical and temporal settings is a testament to their versatility and importance as a solution to the problems of survival. Using a perspective based on evolutionary theory, the adoption of microliths in the Levant is viewed from both a long-term, regional perspective involving resource procurement and a short-term, site-centered perspective focusing on mobility strategies. The results suggest that microliths are correlated with changes in forager behavior associated with resource procurement and mobility and that an evolutionary framework is useful for addressing this process.