TAREN 385
succession. Levels B and C are broadly Levantine
Mousterian in nature, with high proportions of Lev-
allois points and blades in Tabiin B, and generally
broader, more ovoid Levallois flakes in Tabiin C.
The Tabiin I skeleton has been considered a burial,
largely because its elements were articulated.
PREVIOUS DESCRIPTIONS AND ANALYSES
In conjunction with those from the neighboring site
of Skhiil, the remains from Tabin have been the focus
of numerous analyses. McCown and Keith (1939), the
initial describers, lumped the materials from the two
sites together and suggested that the resulting
Palaeoanthropus palestinensis was the last in a series of
extinct hominids that “show a preponderance of
Neanderthal characters.” (p. 18). Morphologically, at
least, this was much more true of Tabiin than of
Skhiil, and subsequent authors have had little diffi-
culty in classifjmg Tabiin I as a lightly built Nean-
derthal (e.g., Howell, 1958; Vandermeersch, 1992).
The Tabiin I1 mandible has also generally been classi-
fied as Neanderthal despite its alleged “chin;” the sym-
physeal analysis of Schwartz and Tattersall (2000) has
recently supported this assignment. Holloway (2000)
quotes a cranial capacity of 1271 ml for the Tabiin I
cranium.
MORPHOLOGY
Tabun I (Cl) Skull
Partial cranium, missing most of face; most of mandible
present, plus some postcranial bones. Cranial vault ex-
tensively reconstructed from multiple fragments.Cranium. Small, relatively long, but not very tall.
In profile, there is a fairly long and quite oblique
postglabellar plane from which the short but relatively
steep frontal rise emerges well well behind orbits.
Posterior to the rise, the profile of the vault appears
to have been relatively horizontal before curving
smoothly downward on to occipital plane. Two-thirds
of way down, the occipital profile is indented by a
small suprainiac fossa, below which the original
contour is uncertain, although the nuchal plane
clearly undercuts the occipital plane. From above, the
braincase was apparently widest at region of mastoids,
tapering gently forward and curving smoothly to
back; postorbital constriction is modest, and it appears
that the supraorbitals retreated gently from the
damaged glabellar region. From rear, braincasepresents continuous “en bombe” curve. From front,
face appears to have been narrower than braincase.
Supraorbital tori smoothly rolled a/p and slightly
arced over each orbit; they are only moderately tall s/i
and, as seen on the R, thicken slightly laterally. Post-
toral plane increases laterally in a/p length. Supraor-
bital margins, as seen better on the R, flow into the
glabellar region, which is not particularly prominent.
Interorbital region, as preserved superiorly, is quite
broad. On both sides, orbital roofs are fairly concave
and form a blunt corner with the anterior surfaces of
tori. As more fully preserved on the L, a low but well
defined temporal line emerges behind toral margin
and continues posteriorly in a low arc to recurve down
and then forward above region of asterion.
Nasal aperture mostly missing; from remnants on
R side laterally and L side inferiorly, it appears to have
been fairly broad, at least inferiorly, and not notably
high. On the R is preserved the base of the frontal
process of the maxilla, which is long a/p and anteriorly
distended, its surface facing quite strongly laterally. In
profile, the lateral margin of aperture is somewhat con-
cave, and the region of frontonasal suture is oriented
fairly horizontally, suggesting that the nasal bones
would have been quite strongly flexed upward. Supe-
rior part of lateral crest is sharper than the part lying
more inferiorly. Bone below the downwardly sloping
inferomedial corner of orbit is puffed out. Anterior
nasal spine was apparently large. Nasoalveolar clivus is
broadly arced and quite vertical.
As better preserved on the R, squamosal was rela-
tively short a/p and tall s/i. On both sides, posterior
root of zygomatic arch is damaged but it apparently
flowed into a distinct suprameatal crest that is continu-
ous with a more pronounced and upwardly arcing
supramastoid crest. Articular fossae were apparently
shallow and quite wide m/l, with long, sloping ante-
rior surfaces flowing smoothly on to the bone in front.
Their posterior walls are more vertical. As also seen on
the L, auditory meatus was small and its bone quite
thick. Vaginal process fades out laterally but may have
peaked around styloid region. On both sides, mastoid
processes are small, somewhat pointed, and only mini-
mally projecting; lateral surfaces have downwardly
curving low crests separated from the suprameatal
crests by moderately developed sulci. On both sides is
an a/p long and very thick occipitomastoid crest sepa-
rated from the mastoid process by a moderately deep
and wide mastoid notch that is constricted anteriorly
but flows posteriorly into fairly large digastric fossae.