The Ahmarian in the Context of the Earlier Upper Palaeolithic in the Near East

There is a general consensus that the Ahmarian techno-complex represents an endemic Upper Palaeolithic entity that emerged in south-western Asia. Its entrenchment in the region is apparent over a long chronological span and a wide geographic range, as is most especially apparent in the Levant. Notwithstanding diachronic and synchronic variability, its basic parameters have been widely recognized since it was first defined over 30 years ago. The Ahmarian characterization is based on certain intrinsic features as well as on the absence of hallmarks of other Upper Palaeolithic entities identified in the region.