The Bükk Mountain Szeletian: Old and New Views on “Transitional” Material from the Eponymous Site of the Szeletian

Abstract

The Szeletian refers to Central and Eastern European artifact assemblages that have been interpreted as “transitional” phenomena between the Middle and Upper Palaeolithic. The term Szeletian derives from material found at Szeleta Cave in the Bükk Mountains of northern Hungary. A reconsideration of the criteria employed to justify the classification of this material as “transitional” is presented together with the impact of recent research on the transitional argument. The impact of these investigations on the meaning of the term “Szeletian” is discussed, as is the legitimacy of the term with regard to hypothesized “transitional” industries in the region.