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Early Upper Palaeolithic before the Aurignacian

Accepted version
Peer-reviewed

Type

Conference Object

Change log

Authors

Nigst, PR 

Abstract

Between ~60 and ~25 ka BP two big changes are recognizable in the archaeological record of Europe: Modern humans replaced Neanderthals and the Middle Palaeolithic was replaced by the Upper Palaeolithic. The Early Upper Palaeolithic across Europe, especially before the Aurignacian, is characterized by a huge variability of different technocomplexes. The so-called transitional technocomplexes, thought to have been produced by Neanderthals, are considered to be either local innovations by Neanderthals or the product of cultural transmission of behaviours from incoming modern human populations. This study tests whether local innovation or diffusion of behaviours are supported by the Early Upper Palaeolithic record of the Middle Danube region in Central Europe. The results using eight assemblages from seven archaeological sites suggest that the transitional technocomplex of the region, the Szeletian, is best explained by diffusion of behaviour from incoming modern humans to local Neanderthal populations.

Description

Keywords

Journal Title

Les Aurignaciens: Leur creation materielle et spirituelle. Actes du Colloque international de Iasi (28-31 janvier 2016)

Conference Name

Colloque international de Iasi

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

Publisher

Editura Cetatea de Scaun
Sponsorship
British Academy/Leverhulme Trust (Small Grant 2016-2018), European Commission (FP7 Marie Curie CIG No 322261), Isaac Newton Trust, Leakey Foundation, Max-Planck-Society, McDonald Grants and Awards Fund