Insights from Central Syrian Desert on the migration routes of Homo erectus from Africa to Eurasia during the Paleolithic.

Our knowledge regarding the migration of the Homo erectus towards Eurasia and the routes he took through the Middle East during the Paleolithic is limited. The latest surveys and excavations at sites in the central Syrian Desert have revealed important data on these routes. Archaeological labor documented numerous archaeological sites located between the Mount Bishri and the Middle Euphrates Valley, sites that witnessed lithic cultures during the Paleolithic. The remains of Homo erectus are documented in various sites in the region including the El-Kowm area, the Nadaouiyeh and Bir al-Hummal sites. This paper will present evidence in support of the early human existence in Syrian desert and will advance our understanding of the general prehistoric framework of human settlement in central Syria during the Paleolithic. It also aims to correlate it to the chain connected the earlier African specimens of Homo erectus with those in other parts of the Eurasia. The investigated area has provided relevant data on the Euphrates Valley as part of this path. The distribution of four groups of sites confirmed that the banks of the Middle Euphrates, especially the area near the Gorge of Khanuqa, witnessed the early establishment of the first prehistoric communities.

Paleolithic; Bishri Mount; Euphrates; Syria; Syrian Desert; Homo erectus.