Prehistoric Settlements on the Red Sea Coast of Eritrea

This book presents results of recent archaeological fieldwork on the Red Sea coast of Eritrea, NE Africa. The project documented more than a dozen sites representing Middle and Later Stone Age settlements from inland and near coastal landscapes. The evidence suggests repeated human presence on the Eritrean coast in the Later Pleistocene and Holocene times. Archaeological evidence from the Red Sea coast of Eritrea is important in the context of current debate on early human dispersal history out of Africa. Later Pleistocene hunter-gatherers specifically adapted to coastal habitats in northeast Africa are thought to have been source populations for the early inhabitants of Arabia and Southeast Asia. The Red Sea basin is considered to be one of the major gates of early human migrations out of Africa. Yet, its archaeological record remains less understood due to various factors. The strategic position of Eritrea with its long coastline along the Red Sea makes it an ideal place to search for prehistoric coastal settlements. The evidence reported in this book confirms the rich potential of the Red Sea basin for future explorations