تهامة في عصور ما قبل التاريخ و صلاتها الحضارية بشرق إفريقيا

Abstract EN

Tihama represented a typical ecological region due to the presence of different ecological systems so close to coastal, continental and marina resources in order to ease the success of the local strategic systems of the inhabitants who still make their life through hunting and gathering.

This area is composed of a narrow coastal route which stretches toward west of the red sea and its inhabitants engage in hunting fishes and practicing limited handicrafts since ancient times.

In this coastal line there are plenty of sandy mounds and shell localities while on the inner side it contains flat land and pebbly areas, it follows by agricultural valleys which lei parallel to the top of southern mountains series.

These areas possess fertile soil which are irrigated from stream water coming from highlands of the western mountains series.

The locals of this region practice seasonal agriculture and animal husbandry.

These Tehama coastal territories and the inner parts is characterize by high temperature and humidity.

The area gets a low percentage of rain during the summer time.

In these shell localities and coastal plains archaeologists found two types of prehistoric sites.

The first type represented by camps for unsettled groups.

These camps contain plenty of shells, lithic tools made of obsidian and basalt and pottery artifacts dated to the Paleolithic and Neolithic.

The second type of sites shows architectural structures contain stone tools and painted and colored ceramic containers dated to the Bronze and Iron Age (Pre-Islamic period).

These sites can be described as small settlements the stratigraphic layers are not deep and they were occupied for a short period of time.

This paper will go through the material remains of the early hunter and gatherer communities and will touch upon the hypothesis related to early human migration out of Africa, the trails which they followed to reach south-west Arabia (Yemen) and their dispersal toward the regions of Marib and al-Jawf.

In other words, we will try to determine the first real presence and spread of Achulian culture out of the Africa.

However, this paper will not go into details concerning the Achulian lithic technology and will not investigate the biological evolution of early human coming out of Africa.

In addition to exploring the Tihama Paleolithic will also pay attention to Tihama Neolithic, Bronze Age and Iron Age and the interaction of Tihama people with their surrounding regional and local societies.