2021-2-16 · Earliest evidence of hominid presence in Syria dates back to about c. 700,000 years ago, when the first crude stone tools are being found. Neanderthal occupation is suggested by bones found at sites such as Dederiyeh Cave near Aleppo. Around 100,000 years, the great migrations of Anatomically Modern Humans replace Neanderthals in Levantine area.