Magdalenian social geographies in Western Europe
Part of: Society for American Archaeology 80th Annual Meeting, San Francisco, CA (2015)
Known for its widespread and impressive art, the Magdalenian had been studied for over a century and a half. Extensive research on the period has provided us with a very comprehensive archaeological record, which still provides information on prehistoric hunter-gatherers' lifestyle, set in different environments. The objective of this symposium is to present current research on hunter-gatherers' social behavior, and inter- and intra-regional interactions in the context of the late glacial Upper Paleolithic Europe, and thus, to summarize our current knowledge of this important archaeological period. The presentations, encompassing research done via computational modeling, GIS, empirical studies, and experimental archaeology, will combine multi-disciplinary viewpoints into one comprehensive overview of the Magdalenian.
Other Keywords
Magdalenian •
Geoarchaeology •
Lithics •
Social Organization •
Hunter-Gatherers •
Flint •
Hunter-Gatherer •
Symbols •
Household Archaeology •
Paleolithic
Temporal Keywords
Magdalenian
Geographic Keywords
Europe •
French Republic (Country) •
Principality of Andorra (Country) •
Midi-Pyrenees (State / Territory) •
Europe (Continent) •
La Rioja (State / Territory) •
Limousin (State / Territory) •
Poitou-Charentes (State / Territory) •
Andorra (State / Territory) •
Navarra (State / Territory)
Resources Inside This Collection (Viewing 1-7 of 7)
- Documents (7)
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Accessing Social Geographies in Late Glacial Franco-Cantabria through Personal Ornaments (2015)
DOCUMENT Citation Only
Besides its rich and complex archaeological record, the Late Glacial of Franco-Cantabria is also a moment of central importance in the population history of Western Europe. This region was the principal demographic source for the post-LGM recolonization of Western Europe, and the influence of cultural trends originating here may be observed across the continent. This paper will present the goals and initial results of an ongoing research project to analyze the internal social dynamics of this...
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The concept of "domesticity" in Magdalenian life (2015)
DOCUMENT Citation Only
A number of recent publications about Magdalenian life have used terms such as "domestic" or "household" and their derivations to differentiate between different types of sites or tools, and perhaps also to underscore the fact that archaeology is about people, not just materials. This language also reflects the influence household archaeology has had in expanding studies of sedentary societies. It is not clear, however, that a distinction between domestic and non-domestic activities is...
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Investigating the symbolic aspects of flint in the making of prehistoric cultures: The case of the Middle Magdalenian of Southwestern France (2015)
DOCUMENT Citation Only
Recent research on Magdalenian flint provisioning strategies in southwestern France, particularly from sites associated with decorated caves, have opened doors to new interpretations regarding the role that these materials played in the construction and maintenance of Magdalenian society. Beyond the traditional typological and technological factors that seem to mainly fluctuate according to circumstances, more consistent symbolic functions appear to have been imbedded in most of these materials,...
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A Re-examination of Magdalenian Social Organization Ten Years Later (2015)
DOCUMENT Citation Only
A decade ago this author completed a synthesis of information about the circulation of exotic lithic raw materials, items of personal ornamentation, and portable decorated objects across western Europe during the Magdalenian ca. 17,000 to 12,000 B.P. Tests of hypotheses about the relationship between population density and visual display suggested that population density was probably not the sole driving force behind the types and intensities of visual displays used by generations of Magdalenian...
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Simulating the past - The use of 3D technologies in archaeology (2015)
DOCUMENT Citation Only
To deal with the destructive nature of archaeological excavations, today’s archaeologists are using new technologies to create 3D records of not only the archaeological sites, but also the archaeological process. This project explores how photogrammetry and 3D modelling can support theoretical approaches to the phenomena and processes by which Palaeolithic out-of-context imagery, especially that which is engraved, is produced. Using 3D technologies can allow researchers to simulate a variety of...
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Social geoarchaeology: A case study of structural organization at Peyre Blanque, Ariège (2015)
DOCUMENT Citation Only
Recent studies of structural remains at Magdalenian open-air sites have provided valuable insights into patterns of occupation and intra-site spatial organization. However, interpretations of activities that may have occurred within the structures have primarily been limited to understandings of the repetition and duration of such activities. Determining more detailed use-of-space within the structures has been challenging at many sites due to site disturbance, not only from natural and...
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Using computer models and art stylistic similarities to evaluate the impacts of geography and social processes on Magdalenian social networks (2015)
DOCUMENT Full-Text
Anthropological research has demonstrated the influence of climate and environmental resources on the lifestyle of hunter-gatherers. While most previous work has focused on environmental influences on hunter-gatherer economic and ecological behaviors, this research will evaluate the impact of different geographical and social environments on the social networks formed therein. This project will use an agent-based model to generate test expectations related to the processes that shaped the social...