The (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. It has also been called the '''Reindeer Age'''. The Late Stone Age and the upper paleolithic refer to the same periods. For historical reasons the late stone age usually refers to the period in Africa, whereas the upper paleolithic is generally used when referring to the period in Europe.
See Also: Single origin hypothesis
s continued to use Mousterian Stone Tool technology.
The earliest remains of organized Settlements in the form of Campsite s, some with storage Pit s, are encountered in this period. These were often located in narrow Valley bottoms, possibly in order to make Hunt ing passing Herd s of animals easier. Some sites may have been occupied year round though more generally they seem to have been used Seasonal ly with peoples moving between them to exploit different Food Source s at different times of the year.
Technological Advance s included significant developments in Flint Tool manufacturing with Industries based on fine Blade s rather than simpler and shorter Flake s. Burin s and Racloir s attest to the working of Bone , Antler and Hide s. Advanced Dart s and Harpoon s also appear in this period, along with the fish hook, the oil lamp, rope, and the eyed needle.
Artistic Work also blossomed with Venus Figurine s, Cave Painting , Petroglyph s and exotic Raw Material s found far from their sources suggest emergent trading links. More complex Social Grouping s 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 Ritual s 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 while 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) 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.
- : start of the Mousterian Pluvial in North Africa
- : Zar, Yataghyeri, Damjili and Taghlar caves in Azerbaijan
- : Gobustan Culture starts in Azerbaijan
- : end of the Mousterian Pluvial in North Africa
- : Lion-Human , from Hohlenstein-Stadel , Germany created. It is now in Ulmer Museum , Ulm , Germany .
- : '' in Czech) from Petřkovice in Ostrava , Czech Republic , was made. It is now in Archeological Institute , Brno .
- : Neanderthals become extinct in Europe.
- : , Grotte Du Pape , Brassempouy , Landes , France , was made. It is now at Musee Des Antiquites Nationales , St.-Germain-en-Laye .
- : Venus Of Willendorf , Austria , was made. It is now at Naturhistorisches Museum , Vienna .
- : Last Ice Age .
- : Paintings in Cosquer Cave , Cap Margiou , France were made.
- : Spotted Horses, Pech Merle cave, Dordogne , France are painted. Discovered in December 1994 .
- : Ibex-headed spear thrower, from Le Mas D'Azil , Ariege , France , is made. It is now at Musee De La Prehistoire , Le Mas D'Azil .
- : Mammoth -bone village in Mezhirich , Ukraine is inhabited.
- : Spotted human hands, Pech Merle cave, Dordogne , France are painted. Discovered in December 1994 .
- : Hall Of Bulls , Lascaux caves, is painted. Discovered in 1940 . Closed to the public in 1963 .
- : Bird-Headed man with bison and Rhinoceros, Lascaux caves, is painted.
- : Lamp with ibex design, from La Mouthe cave, Dordogne , France , is made. It is now at Musee Des Antiquites Nationales , St.-Germain-en-Laye .
- '''c. 14000 BC-, France was made. It is now at Musee Des Antiquites Nationales , St.-Germain-en-Laye .
- : Bison, Le Tuc D'Audoubert , Ariege , France .
- : Paleo-Indians searched for big game in what is now the Hovenweep National Monument .
- : Bison, on the ceiling of a cave at Altamira , Spain , is painted. Discovered in 1879 . Accepted as authentic in 1902 .
- : ". Faber & Faber, 2006.
- : Wooden buildings in South America ( Chile ), first Pottery Vessel s ( Japan ), Bow and Arrow appeared.
- : Beginning of the Holocene Extinction Event .
- : First evidence of human settlement in Argentina .
- : The Arlington Springs Man dies on the island of Santa Rosa, off the coast of California.
- : Human remains deposited in caves which are now located off the coast of Yucatan {Link without Title}
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-Jōmon ceramic culture
- ---8000 BC, Hoabinhian culture
- ---7000 BC, Jōmon culture
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