During the Nubia Salvage Campaign and the subsequent expeditions from the 1960’s to the
1980’s, numerous sites attributed to the Late Palaeolithic (~25–15 ka) were found in the Nile
Valley, particularly in Nubia and Upper Egypt. This region is one of the few to have allowed
human occupations during the dry Marine Isotope Stage 2 and is therefore key to understanding
how human populations adapted to environmental changes at this time. This paper
focuses on two sites located in Upper Egypt, excavated by the Combined Prehistoric Expedition:
E71K18, attributed to the Afian industry and E71K20, attributed to the Silsilian industry.
It aims to review the geomorphological and chronological evidence of the sites, present
a technological analysis of the lithic assemblages in order to provide data that can be used
in detailed comparative studies, which will allow discussion of technological variability in the
Late Palaeolithic of the Nile Valley and its place within the regional context. The lithic analysis
relies on the chaıˆne ope´ ratoire concept combined with an attribute analysis to allow
quantification. This study (1) casts doubts on the chronology of E71K18 and related Afian
industry, which could be older or younger than previously suggested, highlights (2) distinct
technological characteristics for the Afian and the Silsilian, as well as (3) similar technological
characteristics which allow to group them under a same broad techno-cultural complex,
distinct from those north or south of the area.