Going New Places: Dispersal and Establishment of the Aurignacian Technocomplex in Europe During the Marine Isotopic Stage 3 (MIS 3)

Abstract

The first Anatomically Modern Human (AMH) populations to disperse into and across Europe during the climatically unstable period that is Marine Isotope Stage 3 (MIS 3) lived through relatively rapid stadial and interstadial oscillations. The Aurignacian technocomplex, including the Protoaurignacian and the Early Aurignacian, is associated with this phenomenon. A primordial step in understanding the relationship between humans and these fluctuations is to establish a chronologically robust set of archaeological data across the European continent which can be confidently associated with climatic conditions. This paper suggests a classification of Aurignacian archaeological layers across Europe into GICC05 cycles based on a critical review of published dates and environmental studies. The resulting classification allows new diachronic observations on population dynamics and demography for the Aurignacian AMH groups in relation to the drastic environmental changes taking place in Europe at this time.