A collection of 18 papers taken from a symposium at the SAA meeting in Chicago in 1999. Together they address the fundamental problems within the study of the European Early Upper Palaeolithic, both in terms of theoretical and methodological approaches.

Examines the nature of the Early Upper Palaeolithic and presents results of new methods, techniques and approaches applied to the investigation of old problems concerning old world Palaeolithic archaeology. Topics in art, technology and subsistence are covered.

This volume presents 33 papers from sessions held at the XIVth UISPP Congress at the University of Liège in 1991. The focus of this Section is on the archaeological and material evidence for the Upper Palaeolithic. Divided into six sections, the contributions discuss: evidence from western Europe; the site of Abri Pataud in the Dordogne; raw materials; subsistence; central and eastern Europe and Asia; posters. Fourteen papers in English, the rest are in French with English abstracts.

Publisher Description

The period of 30,000 to 20,000 bp can be aptly called the Golden Age of hunter gatherers for a variety of reasons spelled out in great detail by the 37 contributors to this volume.

Approximately 40,000 years ago during the transition between Middle and Upper Paleolithic eras in Europe, Neanderthal man was being replaced by the anatomically modern man. Dr. Allsworth-Jones explores this period, focusing on a characteristic style of Central European cave called the Szeletian. His first-hand knowledge of the caves and in-depth study of related literature support his thesis that the Szeletian caves were the creation of Neanderthal man and were thus linked to that important period in prehistory.