Upper Paleolithic

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The Upper Paleolithic (or Upper Palaeolithic) is the third and last subdivision of the Paleolithic or Old Stone Age as it is understood in Europe, Africa and Asia. Very broadly it dates to between 40,000 and 10,000 years ago, roughly coinciding with the appearance of "high" culture (see below) and before the advent of agriculture.

[edit] Overview

Modern humans (i.e. Homo sapiens sapiens), are believed to have emerged around 100,000 years ago and began migrating out of Africa during the Middle Paleolithic period. Until around 40,000 years ago, the lifestyle of the humans changed little from that of their predecessors. But then, relatively suddenly, they began to produce regionally distinctive cultures, using new technologies, more efficient hunting techniques and having a more refined aesthetic sensibility. This shift from Middle to Upper Paleolithic is called the Upper Paleolithic Revolution. The Neanderthals continued to use Mousterian stone tool technology.

The earliest remains of organized settlements in the form of campsites, some with storage pits, are encountered in this period. These were often located in narrow valley bottoms, possibly in order to make hunting passing herds of animals easier. Some sites may have been occupied year round though more generally they seem to have been used seasonally with peoples moving between them to exploit different food sources at different times of the year.

Upper Paleolithic people used caves and tents like this one (reconstruction) for dwelling

Technological advances included significant developments in flint tool manufacturing with industries based on fine blades rather than simpler and shorter flakes. Burins and racloirs attest to the working of bone, antler and hides. Advanced darts and harpoons also appear in this period, along with the fish hook, the oil lamp, rope, and the eyed needle.

Artistic work also blossomed with Venus figurines, cave painting, petroglyphs and exotic raw materials found far from their sources suggest emergent trading links. More complex social groupings emerged, supported by more varied and reliable food sources and specialised tool types. This probably contributed to increasing group identification or ethnicity. These group identities produced distinctive symbols and rituals which are an important part of modern human behaviour.

The reasons for these changes in human behaviour have been attributed to the changes in climate during the period which encompasses a number of global temperature drops, meaning a worsening of the already bitter climate of the last ice age. These may have reduced the supply of usable timber and forced people to look at other materials whilst flint becomes brittle at low temperatures and may not have functioned as a tool.

It has also been argued that the appearance of (complex or abstract) language made these behavioural changes possible. The complexity of the new human capabilities hints that humans were less capable of planning or foresight before 40,000 years and that speech changed that [1]. This suggestion has no wide acceptance, since human phylogenetic separation dates to the Middle Paleolithic (see Proto-language). Still, it must be remembered that while the latter view is better supported by phylogenetic inference, the material evidence is hard to explain thus.

[edit] Events

• 35000 BC: Zar, Yataghyeri, Damjili and Taghlar caves in Azerbaijan
• 30000 BC: Gobustan Culture starts in Azerbaijan
• c. 30000 BC - 26000 BC: Lion-Human, from Hohlenstein-Stadel, Germany created. It is now in Ulmer Museum, Ulm, Germany.
• c. 23000 BC: Venus of Petřkovice (Petřkovická venuše in Czech) from Petřkovice in Ostrava, Czech Republic, was made. It is now in Archeological Institute, Brno.
• c. 22000 BC: Venus of Bassempouy, Grotte du Pape, Brassempouy, Landes, France, was made. It is now at Musee des Antiquites Nationales, St.-Germain-en-Laye.
• c. 22000 BC - 21000 BC: Venus of Willendorf, Austria, was made. It is now at Naturhistorisches Museum, Vienna.
• c. 16500 BC: Paintings in Cosquer cave, Cap Margiou, France were made.
• c. 16000 BC: Spotted Horses and human hands, Pech Merle cave, Dordogne, France were painted. Discovered in December 1994.
• c. 16000 BC - 9000 BC: Ibex-headed spear thrower, from Le Mas d'Azil, Ariege, France, was made. It is now at Musee de la Prehistoire, Le Mas d'Azil.
• c. 16000 BC - 10000 BC: Mammoth-bone village in Mezhirich, Ukraine inhabited.
• c. 15000 BC - 13000 BC: Hall of Bulls, Lascaux caves, was painted. Discovered in 1940. Closed to the public in 1963.
• c. 15000 BC - 13000 BC: Lamp with ibex design, from La Mouthe cave, Dordogne, France, was made. It is now at Musee des Antiquites Nationales, St.-Germain-en-Laye.
• c. 14000 BC: Pregnant woman and deer (?), from Laugerie-Basse, France was made. It is now at Musee des Antiquites Nationales, St.-Germain-en-Laye.
• c. 13000 BC: Bison, Le Tuc d'Audoubert, Ariege, France.
• c. 12000 BC: Paleo-Indians searched for big game in what is now the Hovenweep National Monument.
• c. 12000 BC: Bison, on the ceiling of a cave at Altamira, Spain, was painted. Discovered in 1879. Accepted as authentic in 1902.
• 11500 BC - 10000 BC: Wooden buildings in South America (Chile), first pottery vessels (Japan), dogs domesticated, bow and arrow appeared.
• 11000 BC: Beginning of the Holocene extinction event.
• 11000 BC: First evidence of human settlement in Argentina.
• 11000 BC: The Arlington Springs Man dies on the island of Santa Rosa, off the coast of California.
• 11000 BC: Human remains deposited in caves which are now located off the coast of Yucatan [2]

[edit] Cultures

The Upper Paleolithic in the Franco-Cantabric region:

• The Châtelperronian culture was located around central and south western France, and northern Spain. It appears to be derived from the earlier Mousterian culture, and represents the period of overlap between Neanderthals and Homo sapiens. This culture lasted from approximately 33000 BC to 27000 BC.
• The Aurignacian culture was located in Europe and south west Asia, and flourished between 32000 BC and 21000 BC. It may have been contemporary with the Périgordian (a contested grouping of the earlier Châtelperronian and later Gravettian cultures).
• The Gravettian culture was located around France, though evidence of Gravettian products have been found across central Europe and Russia. Gravettian sites date between 26000 BC to 20000 BC.
• The Solutrean culture was located in eastern France, Spain, and England. Solutrean artifacts have been dated to around 19000 BC before mysteriously disappearing around 15000 BC.
• The Magdalenian culture left evidence from Portugal to Poland during the period from 16000 BC to 8000 BC.

From the Synoptic table of the principal old world prehistoric cultures:

• central and east Europe:
  • 30000 BC, Szeletian culture
  • 20000 BC, Pavlovian, Aurignacian cultures
  • 10000 BC, Epigravettian culture
  • 9000 BC, Gravettian culture
• north and west Africa, and Sahara:
  • 30000 BC, Aterian culture
  • 10000 BC, Ibero-maurusian, Sebilian cultures
  • 8000 BC, Capsian culture
• central, south, and east Africa:
  • 50000 BC, Fauresmithian culture
  • 30000 BC, Stillbayan culture
  • 10000 BC, Lupembian culture
  • 9000 BC, Magosian culture
  • 7000 BC, Wiltonian culture
  • 3000 BC, beginning of hunter-gatherer art in south Africa
• west Asia (including Middle East):
  • 50000 BC, Jabroudian culture
  • 40000 BC, Amoudian culture
  • 30000 BC, Emirian culture
  • 20000 BC, Aurignacian culture
  • 10000 BC, Kebarian, Athlitian cultures
  • 9000 BC, Natufian culture
• south and central Asia:
  • 50000 BC, Soanian culture
  • 30000 BC, Angara culture
  • 9000 BC, Khandivili culture
• east and southeast Asia:
  • 80000 BC, Ordos culture
  • 50000 BC, Ngandong culture
  • 30000 BC, Sen-Doki culture
  • 10000 BC, pre-Jomon ceramic culture
  • 8000 BC, Hoabinhian culture
  • 7000 BC, Jomon culture

[edit] See also

• Neolithic
• Neolithic Europe
• Hovenweep National Monument

[edit] External links

• The Upper Paleolithic Revolution
• Online community of people who strive to emulate the diet and fitness of Paleolithic humans