The Paleolithic Cultures of the Es Sebba site (Brezina, Algeria):  Preliminary Results.

Yataghane, Djamal; Derradji, Abdelkader

Revue d’études archéologiques
Volume 23, Numéro 1, Pages 788-806
2025-12-31

The Paleolithic Cultures Of The Es Sebba Site (brezina, Algeria): Preliminary Results.

Authors : Yataghane Djamal . Derradji Abdelkader .

Abstract

The Brezina region, located between the Saharan Atlas and the northern Sahara, constitutes an excellent field for studying the Paleolithic period in the Atlas region. This paper presents the preliminary observations from the lithic industries collected during our fieldwork at the Es Sebba site (1 and 2), in 2018, conducted as part of the CNRPAH project on the Algerian South-Western Sahara region and its surroundings. These findings showed, at first sight, the presence of three Paleolithic industry assemblage: the first, a Lower Paleolithic industry contains handaxes and large flakes, the second as a Middle Paleolithic industry dominated by Levallois, and discoid techniques, and finally, the third, that of the Upper Paleolithic industry characterised by small flakes and blade production. The discovery of these Paleolithic phases in both stratigraphic context, and surface context, as well as the variety of knapping techniques, demonstrates that this region is important for understanding the evolution of prehistoric technical traditions. The study also highlights the role of the hydrological dynamics of the Seggueur Wadi in the preservation and distribution of lithic assemblages in the fluvial terraces.