Middle Paleolithic
(100,000-40,000 BP)
Topics covered in this section:
Introduction
During the Middle Paleolithic, we see an increase in the number of
immigrants from the Near East as that region dries out considerably.
Neanderthals spread northward, some settling in the Transylvanian
Basin. We see increased evidence of more permanent campsites, including
separate hearths and fireplaces.
Along with the permanent campsites, we see that the inhabitants are
more open to longer excursions away from their home base, to hunt or
to collect raw materials for their stone tools.
And we see the very rudimentary beginnings of social behavior as
the living prepare intentional burial sites for their dead.
Markers
Archaeologists have identified the typical characteristics of artifacts
that are found at Middle Paleolithic sites, although there are many
exceptions to these stereotypes.
Points and scrapers, made on flakes, are much thinner than their
predecessors from the Lower Paleolithic.
Features begin to appear that define a campsite. In some campsites,
there is evidence of post holes, indicating that the people began to
construct more permanent living spaces. Fireplaces and hearths make
their debut within the separated living spaces. And now we find definite
segregated areas of rubbish and human waste disposal.
Neanderthal
Although the Neanderthal made their initial appearance in the previous,
Lower Paleolithic, era, they became a conspicuous part of the European
landscape during this, the Middle Paleolithic. Their migrations can be
divided into two general time periods:
- Ancient, or early Neanderthal: 200,000 to 60,000 years ago.
- Pioneer, or late Neanderthal: 60,000 to 40,000 years ago.
During the ancient stage, most samples of Neanderthals at archaeological
sites consist of partial bits and pieces of skeletons. There are many
possible explanations for this lack of complete skeletons, including wild
suggestions of cannibalism. But the most likely explanation is that their
corpses were scavenged by carnivores such as wolves, leopards, or hyena,
which also used the caves. The natural action by carnivores would have
scattered their bones across the terrain.
The pioneer stage is so named because they began to disperse slowly
across Europe, following animal herds. Archaeologists have recovered a
large sample of complete, as opposed to partial, Neanderthal skeletons
from this stage.
The Neanderthals had a rather short, stocky build. The average
Neanderthal male was only 1.65m tall (5.4 ft) and the average female,
1.5m tall (4.9 ft).
Based on bone forensics, some archaeologists suggest they may have
hunted large animals at close quarters, perhaps stabbing at them with
short spears. The spears, tipped with large triangular stone points,
would have produced massive hemorrhaging in bison, horse, and deer.
Transport of Raw Materials
Middle Paleolithic peoples apparently traveled farther afield to
gather the raw materials used to make their stone tools. Whereas craftsmen
in the previous, Lower Paleolithic, traveled only short distances, the
Middle Paleolithic artisans traveled over larger distances, usually 80-150
km, with an absolute maximum of 300 km.
Instead of the minutes required of their ancestors, Middle Paleolithic
peoples undertook excursions lasting hours, or sometimes days, to find
the necessary raw materials.
Migrations into Carpathian Region
The largest migrations into Europe took place near the end of the Middle
Paleolithic, around 45,000 years ago. About that time, the Near East grew
increasingly dry, causing droughts and forcing the animal herds northward
in search of fresh foliage and water.
Responding to growing food shortages, emigrants streamed out of the
southern grasslands, northward across the wide land bridge that joined
Turkey to the game-rich steppes and tundra of Europe and Asia.
The land bridge brought small bands of late Ice Age adventurers into
the Carpathian-Danube region in search of food and shelter. Climatologists
tell us that the region was ideal. The massive glaciers that had spread
over most of Europe had hardly touched the Transylvanian Basin.
Pioneers found dense forests throughout the Basin and also hunted and
fished along the Danube. They also found an abundant supply of food in the
Danube Delta region, where the Danube flows into the Black Sea.
Intentional Burial
At several sites, there are signs of intentional burial of the
Neanderthal dead. Bodies are laid in carefully scooped-out pits, and on
occasion protected against scavengers by stones or other large objects
atop the graves.
The orderly arrangement of Neanderthal bones is often cited as evidence
of intentional burials. However, caution must be exercised before coming
to this conclusion. At Torralba, in Spain, for example, lines of elephant
bones were once thought to have been deliberately placed. But recent
studies show that river action accounts for their "intentional" alignment,
not human intervention.
The oft-quoted "chests" of cave bear skulls in several high altitude
Swiss caves seem to indicate human intervention. However, the orderly
arrangement of these skulls can be explained as a result of the frequent
use of deep caves as hibernation dens, where the bears themselves swept
aside the skeletons of previous tenants who had died during the winters
to make room for themselves.
Thus, an orderly alignment of bones doesn't always indicate that it's
the result of a human touch.
Another former claim for intentional burials was based on finding
pollen grains, where flowers were supposedly laid on the dead. But again,
caution is necessary since it has been recently demonstrated that pollen
grains can percolate through sediments above the bodies, and so the
flowers may be much later additions to the site.
Go Elsewhere
At this point, you have a couple of options:
Enjoy your stay and have a great day!
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