Middle Paleolithic stone tool technology is one of the major sources of information about Neandertal behavior and adaptations. The Balkan Middle Paleolithic often remains outside of the major... Show moreMiddle Paleolithic stone tool technology is one of the major sources of information about Neandertal behavior and adaptations. The Balkan Middle Paleolithic often remains outside of the major debates and interpretations of Neandertal behavior. This dissertation is a contribution to better understanding the variability and diachronic changes of the Middle Paleolithic in the Balkans. The central part of this dissertation is the study of lithic collections from two stratified sites in the Adriatic region, Crvena stijena and Bioče (Montenegro). The assemblages from these sites have been previously grouped into the Micromousterian, but other Mousterian variants, Pontinian, Charentian, Denticulate and Typical Mousterian, have also been recognized. In trying to depart from tight attachment to Mousterian facies this dissertation examines flake production methods and toolkit production, the ways these two aspects correlate, and how they relate to raw material properties, and core and tool reduction intensities. Further, based on the review of the available record of the entire Balkan Middle Paleolithic, the dissertation explores trends in its chronological and geographical variation and compares them to the currently known variation of the Middle Paleolithic industries in Europe. It further addresses the questions of the role of the Balkans as a refugium, occupational history of Neandertals and the scenarios for their demise. Show less
Evidence of the presence of blade tool technology has been confirmed in northern Europe from at least the latter part of the Middle Pleistocene (MIS 7-6). During MIS 5 these productions cover a... Show moreEvidence of the presence of blade tool technology has been confirmed in northern Europe from at least the latter part of the Middle Pleistocene (MIS 7-6). During MIS 5 these productions cover a larger area, which includes northwestern Germany, central France, and occasionally the south of France. It is only during MIS 4-3 that the blade production strategy begins to appear in southern Europe, including the Italian peninsula. Based on the present state of research, these three phases appear as on-and-off events without clear evolutionary continuity. The FIIIe and FIIId levels of Grotta del Cavallo in Lecce (Italy) have yielded abundant lithic material predominated by two main reduction systems: the first originating from a Levallois concept by centripetal, unidirectional, and bidirectional methods, and the second stemming from a blade volumetric reduction system. The presence of separate reduction systems aimed at obtaining bladelets highlights the technological variability Show less
