The affiliation of complex, i.e., mechanically delivered projectiles, with Anatomically Modern Humans has led to a growing interest in the origin of these weapons in different geographic regions. The focus of these inquiries comprise processes related to human evolution, in particular trajectories of human expansion out of Africa, where the earliest complex projectiles had been documented. While the Levant constitutes the only land bridge connecting Africa with Eurasia – the earliest complex projectiles identified so far among the narrow elongated points characteristic of the local Upper Paleolithic (UP) Ahmarian do not have direct parallels in African contexts. Here we investigate the hypothesis of a local origin of Levantine complex projectiles based on the four-layered Emiran/Initial UP (IUP) stratigraphic sequence of Boker Tachtit – the best documented time span usually defined as Middle Paleolithic-UP transition in the Levant. The study incorporates analysis of diagnostic impact fractures, point metric characteristics, as well as their hafting-related features. The results indicate the use of high velocity weapons all through the Boker Tachtit sequence, starting with the Emiran and, in particular, with the thinned-base Emireh points – the type fossil of the culture. Furthermore, the comparison of the Boker Tachtit data with preceding and succeeding relevant archaeological record shows that the major increase in weapon velocity was associated with the emergence of the Emiran/IUP, thus supporting the possibility that complex projectiles in the Levant originated during this period. We further hypothesize that the prominent change in points' metrics associated with the subsequent UP Ahmarian – the transition from broad-based to narrow-based points – may have been related to transformations in weapon design, e.g., an introduction of lateral hafting, and not necessarily with the introduction of a new kind of weapon. This study allows considering the origin of complex projectiles in the Levant within the framework of the Emiran-UP technological continuity that is characteristic of the local record. Even though the precise kind of projectiles applied in Boker Tachtit cannot be delineated at the current phase of the research - the use of high velocity weapons can be incorporated into the technological package that defines the Emiran. This additional technological trait can contribute to future attempts to allocate the origin of this culture – yet another issue which has long been discussed in the context of modern human evolution.

复杂的，即机械传递的射弹与解剖学上的现代人类联系在一起，导致人们对这些武器在不同地理区域的起源越来越感兴趣。这些调查的重点包括与人类进化有关的过程，特别是人类从非洲扩展出来的轨迹，那里记录了最早的复杂弹丸。尽管黎凡特是连接非洲和欧亚大陆的唯一陆桥，但迄今为止，在当地旧石器时代（UP）艾玛瑞尔人的狭窄细长点中发现的最早的复杂弹丸在非洲范围内并没有直接的相似之处。在这里，我们基于Boker Tachtit的四层Emiran / Initial UP（IUP）地层序列，研究了黎凡特复杂弹丸的局部起源的假说-记录得最好的时间跨度通常定义为黎凡特中古石器时代-UP过渡。该研究包括对诊断性冲击性骨折，点度量特征及其与柄相关的特征的分析。结果表明，在Boker Tachtit序列中一直使用高速武器，首先是从Emiran，尤其是从稀薄的Emireh点开始-这种文化的化石。此外Boker Tachtit数据与之前和之后的相关考古记录的比较表明，武器速度的大幅提高与Emiran / IUP的出现有关，从而支持了黎凡特这一时期复杂的弹丸发源的可能性。我们进一步假设，与随后的UP Ahmarian关联的测点指标的显着变化-从宽基点到窄基点的过渡-可能与武器设计的转变有关，例如，引入了侧向柄，而不是必须引入一种新型武器。这项研究可以考虑当地记录的特征，即在Emiran-UP技术连续性的框架内，考虑到黎凡特复杂弹丸的起源。即使在目前的研究阶段无法确定在Boker Tachtit中使用的精确射弹种类，也可以将高速武器的使用纳入定义Emiran的技术包中。这种额外的技术特征可有助于将来尝试分配这种文化的起源，这是在现代人类进化的背景下长期以来一直讨论的另一个问题。