Mousterian

The Mousterian (or Mode III) is a techno-complex (archaeological industry) of flint (hence lithic) tools associated primarily with the Neanderthals in Europe, and to a lesser extent the earliest anatomically modern humans in North Africa and West Asia. The Mousterian largely defines the latter part of the Middle Paleolithic, the middle of the West Eurasian Old Stone Age. It lasted roughly from 160,000 to 40,000 BP. If its predecessor, known as Levallois or 'Levallois-Mousterian' is included, the range is extended to as early as c. 300,000–200,000 BP. The main following period is the Aurignacian (c.43,000–28,000 BP) of Homo sapiens.Artistic impression of the head of a Homo neanderthalensis male. Smithsonian Museum of Natural HistoryStone scrapers for cleaning and working leather, Mousterian Culture, Israel, 250,000-50,000 BPRestoration of Le Moustier Homo neanderthalensis by Charles R. KnightLe Moustier Neanderthal skull reconstitution, Neues Museum BerlinLevallois pointsMousterian Culture and Late Stone Age Stone Tools. Notch for sharpening wood, and denticulate for sawing wood and bone. Rosh En Mor and En Aqev. 250,000-22,000 BP. IsraelMousterian & Aurignacian Cultures, Stone Burins used for incising stone and wood, Qafzeh, Hayonim, el-Wad Cave, 250,000-22,000 BP IsraelMousterian Culture, stone spearheads, 250,000-50,000. Israel Museum The Mousterian (or Mode III) is a techno-complex (archaeological industry) of flint (hence lithic) tools associated primarily with the Neanderthals in Europe, and to a lesser extent the earliest anatomically modern humans in North Africa and West Asia. The Mousterian largely defines the latter part of the Middle Paleolithic, the middle of the West Eurasian Old Stone Age. It lasted roughly from 160,000 to 40,000 BP. If its predecessor, known as Levallois or 'Levallois-Mousterian' is included, the range is extended to as early as c. 300,000–200,000 BP. The main following period is the Aurignacian (c.43,000–28,000 BP) of Homo sapiens. The culture was named after the type site of Le Moustier, three superimposed rock shelters in the Dordogne region of France. Similar flintwork has been found all over unglaciated Europe and also the Near East and North Africa. Handaxes, racloirs and points constitute the industry; sometimes a Levallois technique or another prepared-core technique was employed in making the flint flakes. The European Mousterian is the product of Neanderthals. It existed roughly from 160,000 to 40,000 BP. Some assemblages, namely those from Pech de l'Aze, include exceptionally small points prepared using the Levallois technique among other prepared core types, causing some researchers to suggest that these flakes take advantage of greater grip strength possessed by Neanderthals. In North Africa and the Near East, Mousterian tools were produced by anatomically modern humans. In the Levant, for example, assemblages produced by Neanderthals are indistinguishable from those made by Qafzeh type modern humans. The Mousterian industry in North Africa is estimated to be 315,000 years old. Possible variants are Denticulate, Charentian (Ferrassie & Quina) named after the Charente region, Typical and the Acheulean Tradition (MTA) - Type-A and Type-B. The industry continued alongside the new Châtelperronian industry during the 45,000-40,000 BP period.