Examining Spatial-Temporal Variation in the Lithic Technology of the Early Upper Paleolithic
Part of: Society for American Archaeology 89th Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA (2024)
This collection contains the abstracts of the papers presented in the session entitled "Examining Spatial-Temporal Variation in the Lithic Technology of the Early Upper Paleolithic" at the 89th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.
This session presents ongoing research into the lithic technology of the Swabian Aurignacian and invites researchers working in other regions to contribute to a discussion on how best to characterize lithic variability during the period roughly between 45 and 35 ka BP. Papers present case studies of lithic variability at various spatial and temporal scales in an effort to identify both unifying and distinctive aspects of Eurasian lithic traditions. In the Swabian case, the Upper Paleolithic begins suddenly following an occupational hiatus around 42 ka BP with the Aurignacian assemblages from the caves of the Upper Danube region. After decades of excavation and study, researchers are gaining a better understanding of lithic variability in this region. Clearly, both neighboring and far off regions show radically different sequences than in the Swabian case study. The archaeological record of the early Upper Paleolithic reflects distinctive processes of cultural evolution and different cultural trajectories during the period of the last archaic hominins and the spread of early modern humans into Eurasia. Following a comparative approach, we hope better to contextualize the local signatures within a more general model for the beginnings of the Upper Paleolithic.
Other Keywords
Paleolithic •
Material Culture and Technology •
Lithic Analysis •
Use-Wear Analysis •
Early Upper Paleolithic •
Craft Production •
Aurignacian
Geographic Keywords
French Republic (Country) •
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Nort (Country) •
Ireland (Country) •
Isle of Man (Country) •
Kingdom of Belgium (Country) •
Bailiwick of Guernsey (Country) •
Principality of Monaco (Country) •
Bailiwick of Jersey (Country) •
Kingdom of the Netherlands (Country) •
Kingdom of Spain (Country)
Resources Inside This Collection (Viewing 1-5 of 5)
- Documents (5)
-
Getting a Handle on Form and Function: Functional Analysis of Aurignacian Formal Tools from Abri Pataud (Périgord, France) (2024)
DOCUMENT Citation Only
This is an abstract from the "Examining Spatial-Temporal Variation in the Lithic Technology of the Early Upper Paleolithic" session, at the 89th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology. In Paleolithic Europe, the Aurignacian period marks the beginnings of the production of a multitude of formal tools, each with specific typologies that sometimes have been attributed to one or several functions and actions. Functional studies have shown that morphology does not suffice to infer...
-
How to Carve Ivory and Drill Holes in Mammoth Ivory Beads (2024)
DOCUMENT Citation Only
This is an abstract from the "Examining Spatial-Temporal Variation in the Lithic Technology of the Early Upper Paleolithic" session, at the 89th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology. Researchers have often called the Swabian Aurignacian the Ivory Age, and in fact, this term is entirely fitting due to the great number and diversity of ivory artifacts. These artifacts include a wide variety of both tools and symbolic artifacts including beads, figurines and flutes. Here we...
-
Large-Scale Analyses Show Flexible Paths of Aurignacian Lithic Production at Vogelherd Cave in Lone Valley (2024)
DOCUMENT Citation Only
This is an abstract from the "Examining Spatial-Temporal Variation in the Lithic Technology of the Early Upper Paleolithic" session, at the 89th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology. The Aurignacian marks the beginning of the Upper Paleolithic in southern Germany. During this time blade and bladelet production became the central focus of the stone knapping. Lithic technology of the Swabian Aurignacian is nowhere better documented than at Vogelherd. Here Riek’s original...
-
Recent Excavations and Research on Lithic Technology of the Swabian Aurignacian (2024)
DOCUMENT Citation Only
This is an abstract from the "Examining Spatial-Temporal Variation in the Lithic Technology of the Early Upper Paleolithic" session, at the 89th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology. The study of the Swabian Aurignacian goes back to fieldwork in the 1880s in Bockstein Cave in the Lone Valley. Subsequent generations of archaeologists have excavated well-known sites including Hohlenstein-Stadel and Vogelherd in the Lone Valley and Geißenklösterle, Hohle Fels, and Sirgenstein...
-
Technological Studies of Blade and Bladelet Production in the Aurignacian at Geißenklösterle Cave (SW Germany) (2024)
DOCUMENT Citation Only
This is an abstract from the "Examining Spatial-Temporal Variation in the Lithic Technology of the Early Upper Paleolithic" session, at the 89th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology. Geißenklösterle Cave has played a central role in assessing the timing of the beginning of the Upper Paleolithic in Central Europe and in contextualizing the origins of Aurignacian technological innovations. The Aurignacian of Geißenklösterle is comprised of archaeological horizons II and III...