Examining Spatial-Temporal Variation in the Lithic Technology of the Early Upper Paleolithic

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.