Technological perspectives on the upper paleolithic

Understanding the spread of Homo sapiens into Europe along with the linked phenomenon of the Middle to Upper Paleolithic transition is among the perennial `hot topics' of paleoanthropological research.1-4 This is an extremely complex field of research that requires the synthesis of data from multiple lines of inquiry, each with its own methodological and theoretical debates. Lithic analysis is critical because stone tools are the ubiquitous class of material culture found on sites from this time period. Therefore, a clear understanding of the internal developments within the field of lithic analysis are critical to a comprehensive understanding of both the Middle to Upper Paleolithic transition and the spread of modern humans into Europe. Recent research by European archeologists in the study of Upper Paleolithic bladelets and burins are the latest development of the chaîne opératoire, or technological approach to lithic analysis. The substantive contributions of these studies and their methodological underpinnings are essential elements of a comprehensive paleoanthropology of the spread of modern humans. Copyright John Wiley & Sons. Reproduced with permission. An electronic version of this article is available online at http://www.interscience.wiley.com