When Did the Middle Paleolithic Begin?

Abstract

The Middle Paleolithic has widely been understood as the epoch of the Neanderthals, including early (Pre-Neanderthals) and classic Neanderthals. The onset of the Middle Paleolithic has conventionally been defined as the time when the Levallois concept of flake production became a dominant and regular feature in stone artifact assemblages. The same “Levallois generalization” seems to have started after the Holsteinian interglacial and before the Drenthe ice advance. New radiometric dating for the Holsteinian (now around 300 ka) and Drenthe (now around 150 ka) indicates the ages for some early Middle Paleolithic assemblages to be much younger than previously thought. Regional chronologies need re-evaluation based on the new, shorter chronological model.