SHANIDAR CAVE — SOLECKI 397 



refutation of this statement) that there was no form represented in 

 the excavation that could not be found living in the country at present. 



The cave of Zarzi which Garrod (op. cit.) excavated is a small 

 chamber situated on a tributary of the Lesser Zab River. The main 

 archeological deposit consisted of two layers : A and B. Layer B 

 contained the Upper Paleolithic "extended Gravettian industry," 

 which marks Zarzi as the type station for this horizon. Layer B had 

 a thickness of 50 cm. to 1.50 m. Flint implements representing a 

 single umnixed archeological industry were scattered in great abun- 

 dance throughout Layer B. The only apparent sign of change or 

 development was the appearance of microlithic geometric forms in the 

 uppermost part of Layer B. The distinctive forms that set this site 

 apart are small round scrapers, bladelets with deeply notched edges, 

 and blunted-back blades (Garrod, 1953, p. 22). There are also a very 

 few single-shouldered points. The microlithic forms from the top of 

 the layer consist of lunates and elongated triangles, with a single 

 microburin. These microlithic forms are typologically Mesolithic in 

 character. 



Archeologists of the Directorate General of Antiquities of Iraq re- 

 covered some Paleolithic implements on the surface of the desert 

 southwest of Shithatha near a great depression west of Kerbala (Sol- 

 ecki, 1954, p. 62, footnote 1). A representative of the same institu- 

 tion made a reconnaissance of cave sites in the Surdash District of 

 northeastern Iraq, but in none of these were found Paleolithic remains 

 (Mahdi, 1950). It is very likely that some of these caves had been 

 examined earlier by Robert A. Franks, Jr., and F. Turville-Petre, 

 who accompanied Garrod (1930, pp. 41-42) on her expedition in this 

 region. 



Barda Balka, an important open Paleolithic site on a hilltop and 

 hillside about 2i/^ miles east of Chemchemal in the Kirkuk liwa, was 

 originally described by Dr. Naji al Asil (1949). The site was tested 

 during a reconnaissance by Drs. PL E. Wright, Jr., and Bruce How^e 

 (1951) of the Oriental Institute expedition, on behalf of the Direc- 

 torate General of Antiquities. It seems to have been a living area 

 as well as a workshop site. The investigators made a discontinuous 

 trench about 50 meters long and 1 to 2 meters deep. The artifacts 

 recovered in the Barda Balka gravel may be grouped in three general 

 categories: hand axes, pebble tools, and flakes. The outstanding 

 archeological feature of this site is the combination of cores, pebbles, 

 and small flake implements in the same occupation area, apparently 

 contemporaneous. This material resembles elements in the Acheulian, 

 Tayacian, and Mousterian industries. The assemblage was found in 

 situ, or virtually in situ, on the basis of the geological evidence. It 

 may be considered as the oldest type of industry so far found in a 



