North Africa features some of the earliest manifestations of the Middle Stone Age (MSA) and fossils of our species, Homo sapiens, as well as early examples of complex culture and the long distance transfer of exotic raw materials. As they are elsewhere, lithics (i.e., stone tools) present by far the most abundant source of information on this cultural period. Given the importance of North Africa in human origins, understanding the character and distribution of MSA lithics is therefore crucial, as they shed light on early human behaviour and culture. However, the lithics of the North African MSA are poorly understood, and their technological variability is frequently obfuscated by regionally specific nomenclatures, often repeated without criticism, and diverse methods of analysis that are often incompatible. Characterising dynamic technological innovations as well as apparent technological stasis remains challenging, and many narratives have not been tested quantitatively. This significantly problematizes hypotheses of human evolution and dispersals invoking these data that extend beyond North Africa. This paper therefore presents a description of the lithics of the North African MSA, including their technological characteristics, chronology, spatial distribution and associated research traditions. A range of interpretations concerning early H. sapiens demography in North Africa are then re-evaluated in the light of this review, and the role and power of lithic data to contribute to such debates is critically assessed.

中文翻译：

---

北非中石器时代的岩性：假设，证据和未来方向。

北非的特征是中石器时代（MSA）的最早表现以及我们人类的化石化石，以及复杂文化的早期实例以及异国原材料的长距离转移。就像在其他地方一样，石器（即石材工具）是目前有关这一文化时期最丰富的信息来源。鉴于北非在人类起源中的重要性，因此了解MSA石器的特征和分布至关重要，因为它们可以揭示人类早期的行为和文化。但是，人们对北非MSA的石碑了解甚少，其技术可变性经常因区域特定的命名法而变得模糊不清，常常不加批评就反复出现，并且分析方法常常不兼容。表征动态技术创新以及明显的技术停滞仍然具有挑战性，许多叙述都没有经过定量测试。这极大地质疑了人类进化的假说，并散布了涉及北非以外地区的这些数据。因此，本文介绍了北非MSA的岩性，包括其技术特征，年代，空间分布和相关的研究传统。然后，根据这次审查，重新评估了有关北非智人人口统计学的一系列解释，并严格评估了石质数据在此类辩论中的作用和作用。这极大地质疑了人类进化的假说，并散布了涉及北非以外地区的这些数据。因此，本文介绍了北非MSA的岩性，包括其技术特征，年代，空间分布和相关的研究传统。然后根据这次审查重新评估了有关北非智人人口统计学的各种解释，并严格评估了石质数据在此类辩论中的作用和作用。这极大地质疑了人类进化的假说，并散布了涉及北非以外地区的这些数据。因此，本文介绍了北非MSA的岩性，包括其技术特征，年代，空间分布和相关的研究传统。然后根据这次审查重新评估了有关北非智人人口统计学的各种解释，并严格评估了石质数据在此类辩论中的作用和作用。空间分布和相关的研究传统。然后根据这次审查重新评估了有关北非智人人口统计学的各种解释，并严格评估了石质数据在此类辩论中的作用和作用。空间分布和相关的研究传统。然后根据这次审查重新评估了有关北非智人人口统计学的各种解释，并严格评估了石质数据在此类辩论中的作用和作用。