CHAPTER III FLINT IMPLEMENTS COLLECTED
3. Upper Palaeolithic
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Upper Palaeolithic industries in Western Asia are similar to those found in Europe inasmuch as flint implements are basically blades. On the other hand, however, a comparison of the content of the industries in these two areas shows a great difference. Therefore, for the Upper Palaeolithic in Western Asia, the classification system of NEUVILL'S Stages 1-6 is very often used for the sake of convenience (NEUVILLE, 1951). Sometimes Amudian (Pre-Aurignacian) is added as stage 0 (HOWELL, 1959). The sites to be reported as belonging to the Upper Palaeolithic are classified in accordance with NEUVILL'S typology. In view of the fact that all the flints are surface material, no mention is made as to which of the 6 stages they would come under. The blades collected are divided roughly into two groups. One was discovered at Koubba II (Site 6), and these are mainly flake-blades with small faceted striking platforms, indicating that they possess strong characteristics of the Middle Palaeo lithic traditon (Fig. 43:1,14). The other group are flint implements which have been made into the so-called typical punch blades with minute striking-platforms. Of these two groups, the former is considered to belong to an older type, a point which is substantiated by the physical condition of the flints of these two groups; in the latter the flints are slightly patinated, while in the former they are patinated in white to buff color and show stronger abrasion.
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