Episodic human presence at the Levantine–Anatolianinterface

The dispersal of Homo populations from Africa into Eurasia represents a pivotal moment in human evolution; however, the fossil record remains ambiguous regarding how these groups crossed the Levantine corridor and the associated technological diffusion. To contribute regional empirical data to these debates, we conducted a systematic pedestrian survey in northern Gaziantep, Türkiye, documenting lithic distribution and land-use patterns. We identified 27 localities documenting repeated use of the region across different periods, with lithic artefacts ranging from the Lower Palaeolithic to the Epipalaeolithic. The assemblage includes Late Acheulean handaxes and Middle Palaeolithic Levallois technologies that strongly mirror Levantine traditions. Significantly, we recovered Levallois blades and volumetric cores that are hypothesized here to represent an Initial Upper Palaeolithic (IUP) presence in the region. These discoveries represent a landscape actively exploited by diverse hominin groups over time, emphasizing its continuing importance as a bridge between continents, while also acknowledging that dispersals through this region may have involved complex multidirectional movements.