Multidisciplinary Geological-Geophysical Analysis Unmasks Anthropological Site Structure in the Northern Part of the Levantine Corridor

The study of the ancient anthropological sites of the Levantine Corridor is very significant for understanding the evolution of ancient hominins and the time of their dispersal from East Africa to the Caucasus and Eurasia. The event stratigraphy data and paleomagnetic studies of the latest Cenozoic are comprehensively generalized for the Levantine region. Compiled integrated structural-paleomagnetic-event stratigraphic chart enabled the exact correlation of the northern Levantine ancient hominin sites. For a thorough analysis of the well-studied anthropological site of ‘Ubeidiya (located some km SW of the Sea of Galilee), we used the following principal methodologies: paleogeographic research combined with examination of hydrospheric disturbances, analysis of cyclic stratigraphy, generalization of detailed paleomagnetic stratigraphy, biostratigraphic correlation, lithological-facies analysis, event stratigraphy, and structural-tectonic studies. Methods of comparative analysis of several anthropological sites surrounding the site of ‘Ubeidiya were also employed. Comprehensive paleomagnetic mapping and profiling have been applied to a few areas in the northern part of the Levantine corridor. It can reveal some essential tectonic-structural peculiarities of the sites disposed of this strip. Paleogeographic and tectonic-geodynamic data analyses indicate that the Calabrian age of the ‘Ubeidiya site is discussable. The constructed palinspastic reconstruction map (3.6 - 2.0 Ma) unmasked important tectonic-magmatic features of the area under study. Based on the combined multifactor analysis, we propose that the age of this site can be significantly increased. The new suggested age (Lower Matuyama - Gelasian) may require a revision of the entire global process of dispersal of primitive man from Africa to the north.