20 October 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

The Oldest Evidence of Stone Blade Production in Southern Arabia: 80,000-Year-Old Stone Blades Discovered

An international team of researchers led by Knut Bretzke of Friedrich Schiller University Jena uncovered 80,000-year-old stone blades at the rock shelter site of Jebel Faya in the Emirate of Sharjah.

The discovery of the oldest evidence to date of the systematic production of stone blades on the Arabian Peninsula marks a significant advancement in the understanding of prehistoric human technology in the region.  This discovery provides new insights into the history of human habitation in Arabia and the possible routes used by Homo sapiens in their expansion out of Africa, highlighting the cultural practices associated with tool-making and the migration patterns of early humans.

Published in the journal Archaeological and Anthropological Science, the study emphasizes the crucial role of southern Arabia in the cultural evolution and diversification of early human populations in Southwest Asia, with the artifacts being dated to approximately 80,000 years using luminescence techniques.

Dr. Bretzke notes that the region’s climatic history has been marked by dramatic changes, transitioning from a period of favorable conditions—characterized by permanent rivers and lakes—beginning around 130,000 years ago, to an extreme arid phase that significantly influenced human settlement and cultural practices.

The findings suggest that while northern and southern Arabia experienced distinct cultural developments during this transition, the shared traditions in stone tool production indicate a complex interplay of human activity across the peninsula. This differentiation is crucial for understanding the timeline and pathways of early human migrations from Africa to Asia.



📣 Our WhatsApp channel is now LIVE! Stay up-to-date with the latest news and updates, just click here to follow us on WhatsApp and never miss a thing!!



Examples of the 80,000-year-old stone blades found at Jebel Faya. The relatively thin and uniform blades indicate efficient manufacturing methods and are flexible in use. This was an advantage for the hunters and gatherers in South Arabia and allowed settlement even in climatically unfavorable periods. Illustration: Mojdeh Lajmiri
Examples of the 80,000-year-old stone blades found at Jebel Faya. The relatively thin and uniform blades indicate efficient manufacturing methods and are flexible in use. This was an advantage for the hunters and gatherers in South Arabia and allowed settlement even in climatically unfavorable periods. Illustration: Mojdeh Lajmiri

The research indicates that the global expansion of Homo sapiens occurred in multiple waves, with evidence from Jebel Faya suggesting that one such migration along the southern Arabian Peninsula took place around 80,000 years ago. However, a notable challenge remains: the absence of Paleolithic human remains in southern Arabia limits the ability to conduct genetic analyses that could provide deeper insights into the populations that once inhabited the area.

Excavations at Jebel Faya have revealed evidence of human activity spanning from approximately 210,000 to 10,000 years ago, with extensive digging reaching depths of five meters. Despite the wealth of stone tools discovered, the lack of fossilized remains hinders direct connections between these artifacts and specific genetic lineages.

The interdisciplinary project, involving researchers from Jena, Tübingen, and Freiburg in Germany, as well as Oxford Brookes University in the UK, collaborates closely with local authorities in Sharjah to facilitate ongoing excavations and analyses.

This discovery not only deepens our understanding of early human migrations but also indicates that southern Arabia had a more complex and vital role in the expansion of Homo sapiens than previously thought. As research progresses, archaeologists are hopeful that further evidence will emerge, shedding light on the region’s ancient history and the innovative strategies early humans employed to adapt to changing environmental conditions.

Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena

Knut Bretzke, Frank Preusser, Kira Raith, Gareth Preston, Seolmin Kim, Sabah Jasim, Eisa Yousif und Adrian Parker: Archaeology, chronology, and sedimentological context of the youngest Middle Palaeolithic assemblage from Jebel Faya, United Arab Emirates, Archaeological and Anthropological Science, DOI: 10.1007/s12520-025-02164

Cover Image Credit: The Jebel Faya archaeological site on the Arabian Peninsula.
Credit: Knut Bretzke

Related Articles

The excavations in Selinunte, Italy, which has the largest Agora in the Ancient World, “The results have gone well beyond expectations”

29 July 2022

29 July 2022

In the Selinunte, one of the most important archaeological sites of the Greek period in Italy, the outlines of the...

Ancient City Cistern Found Near Croatia’s Iconic Fountain

15 February 2024

15 February 2024

An island-speckled coastline and ancient walled towns place Croatia among the world’s best-beauty cities. But there’s even more to this...

A princely tomb discovered in the infrastructure project of the A7 Ploieşti-Buzău highway in Romania

20 December 2022

20 December 2022

An impressive archaeological discovery took place on the Ploiești-Buzău section of the Moldova Highway. The excavations uncovered a princely tomb,...

In the backstage of Smyrna Ancient Theater Latrina found

3 November 2021

3 November 2021

Interesting finds unearthed during the excavations of the 2400-year-old Ancient City of Smyrna in the Aegean region of Turkey continue...

20-Year Mystery Solved: Roman Marble Head in Crimea Identified as Laodice, the Woman Who Secured Her City’s Freedom

15 September 2025

15 September 2025

An international team of archaeologists and scientists has finally solved a mystery that began more than two decades ago. In...

Archeologists Discover Two Sphinxes measure 26 feet in length in Egyptian Ruins

21 January 2022

21 January 2022

Archeologists have discovered the remains of two huge sphinx statues, each measuring 26 feet in length, at the funerary temple...

One of the oldest known mosques in the world uncovered in Israel

23 June 2022

23 June 2022

A team of Israeli archaeologists has discovered what is one of the oldest known mosques in the world. Israeli archaeologists...

Excavation of Carlisle Roman bathhouse uncovers a connection between the site and a third-century Roman emperor

27 September 2021

27 September 2021

Excavation of a Roman bath at the Carlisle Cricket Club in Stanwix, part of the Uncovering Roman Carlisle project, has...

In Lowbury Hill Mystery of Anglo-Saxons buried 1,400 years ago may soon be solved

8 March 2023

8 March 2023

The mystery surrounding the remains of two Anglo-Saxons buried 1,400 years ago in south Oxfordshire, identified as a man and...

Scientists Reconstruct Face Of 16th Century Italian ‘Vampire’ Buried With Brick In Mouth

23 March 2024

23 March 2024

A 16th-century ‘vampire‘ who was buried with a stone brick jammed in her mouth over fears she would feed on...

The First Native Americans were Among the First Metal Miners in the World

20 March 2021

20 March 2021

An arrowhead made of pure copper 8,500 years ago dates the history of the copper age to an earlier period,...

Archaeologists Discover Complete 13th-Century Rare Benahoarit Vase in Tijarafe Funerary Cave on La Palma

30 August 2025

30 August 2025

A remarkable archaeological discovery in Tijarafe, a municipality on the northwestern coast of La Palma in Spain’s Canary Islands, has...

Unique Iron & Viking-Age Mortuary Houses Found in Norway

28 August 2024

28 August 2024

While building a road in the village of Vinjeøra in central Norway, three ancient mortuary houses dating back to the...

3600-year-old lead weights were unearthed in the Kumluca Bronze Age Shipwreck, one of the oldest shipwrecks in the world

27 November 2022

27 November 2022

Underwater archaeological work continues in the Bronze Age shipwreck off Antalya Kumluca, one of the oldest shipwrecks in the world....

Tombs of elite Wari craftsmen found in the royal necropolis in Castillo de Huarmey, Peru

12 September 2022

12 September 2022

A group of tombs of elite craftsmen of the Wari culture has been discovered at the archaeological site of Castillo...