A new find of an equid metatarsal bone from tell mureibet in syria and its relevance to the identification of equids from the early holocene of the levant

摘要: A comparative study of the equid bones and teeth from Dr Van Loon’s excavations at Tell Mureibet (1968) was carried out in 1970. It concluded that fragments teeth, which can be dated to eighth or seventh millennium BC, belonged asinus group equids rather than hemionus (Ducos, 1970). Features appeared more like upper are flatness convexity external walls (interstylid faces) lower shape lingual sinus (dividing double curl metastylid metaconid) is usually a narrow V-shape with less sharp angle E. asinus. The have concave has slightly curved, wide V-shape. An examination skulls Equus onuger africanus Museums Vienna, Munich London showed these characters only true general. In each group, examples where developed atypically found. So, an attribution hemippus I. Geoffroy, 1855 being eliminated because this animal too small, asinus, onager Boddaert, 1785, remained uncertain. This reason why find complete metatarsal bone Cauvin’s new excavation most exciting, for certain identification species could made bone. found level contemporary 1st VIIIth strata stratigraphy (square Q34. Locus Z 1, depth 10.50 m, C lb; on clay soil round house; structure L IV ter). length 239.2 mm; much above (225.2 mm maximum specimen Vienna Museum) but it very close Kiang Khur hemiones also africanus. distinctive character value “slenderness” index, ratio minimum medio-lateral width total length. index 11.2 typical consequence been ascribed ass hemione. Asiatic never reach height, and, although there belonging khur Lesson, 1907 British Museum (Natural History) 10.6, values given by Gromova (1959) all below 10.5. existence wild Levant during early Holocene now seems indisputable. remains often prehistoric sites plains northern eastern Syria, El Kown example. settlement southwestern Syria Israel occasionally