Lithic analysis of the north African Middle Stone age from the Rhafas cave sequence

Rhafas Cave provides one of the rare dated sequences from MIS 5 in northern Morocco, showcasing a wide variety of lithic industries. Initially discovered by Jean Marion in 1950, the site was excavated by Luc Wengler's team from 1978 onwards and later by Abdeljalil Bouzouggar's teams beginning in 2007. This study aims to contribute new data to the ongoing discussions on defining North African technocomplexes through a techno-economic analysis of lithic material. Multiple dating programmes have established a chronological framework for this sequence, providing a solid foundation for developing a chronocultural model. These results reveal the succession of several technocomplexes, marked by the evolution and transformation of the technical repertoire between the late Middle and Late Pleistocene. They also highlight clear distinctions between the industries of the Early Middle Stone Age and the later phases of the Middle Stone Age.