The earliest transverse grooved stones of Eurasia: Near Eastern distribution, types and chronology

Transverse grooved stones (TGS), believed to be used as shaft straighteners, first appeared in the Epipalaeolithic Near East around 13,000 BCE and spread across Eurasia. This study identifies three distinct regions—Levant, Zagros Mountains, and Upper Mesopotamia-central Anatolia—as initial centers of TGS production, each with unique morphological and decorative features. The research analyzes over 200 grooved stones from 80 sites, mapping their distribution chronologically to trace cultural interactions during the Pleistocene-Holocene transition. Findings link TGS introduction to hunter-gatherer societies (Natufian, Harifian, Western Zarzian) and highlight their prevalence from the Pre-Pottery Neolithic A (PPNA) to the early Bronze Age.

Usacheva, I. (2021). The earliest transverse grooved stones of Eurasia: Near Eastern distribution, types and chronology. Journal of Lithic Studies, 7(3). https://doi.org/10.2218/jls.3094