Middle Paleolithic or Middle Stone Age Period
Middle Stone Age Sites
Middle Stone Age sites exhibiting many characteristics of modern human behaviors have been identified throughout southern Africa
100,000 Year Old Paint Pots at Blombos Cave
The latest discoveries at Blombos Cave include two tool kits to make ochre pigment, dated to 100,000 years ago.
Upper Paleolithic Textiles from Dzudzuana Cave
Upper Paleolithic Textiles from Dzudzuana Cave
Abric Romani (Catalonia)
The rockshelter of Abric Romaní is a Middle and Upper Paleolithic site located in a cliff outside of the village of Capellades, in the Autonomous Community of Catalonia, some 50 kilometers west of Barcelona, Spain.
Early Modern Human Arrow Points
Recent investigations at Sibudu Cave and other Early Modern Human sites in South Africa suggest that the bow and arrow was part of the tool kit of Howiesons Poort/Still Bay cultures some 60,000 years ago.
El Mirón Cave (Spain)
The multicomponent archaeological cave site of El Mirón is located in the Rio Ason valley of eastern Cantabria, Spain, that has occupations between the late Middle Paleolithic to AD 1400.
Boomplaas Cave (South Africa)
Boomplaas Cave (Tree Farm Cave) is located in the Swartberg Range of South Africa, near the southern most tip of the continent.
Grottes des Pigeons (Morocco)
The Grottes des Pigeons is a Middle Paleolithic rockshelter located in eastern Morocco
Gesher Benot Ya'aqov (Israel)
The archaeological site of Gesher Benot Yaaqov is located in the northern Jordan Valley on the shore of an ancient lake.
Enkapune Ya Muto (Kenya)
The Enkapune Ya Muto rockshelter (also called Twilight Cave) is located on the Mau Escarpment of the central Rift Valley in Kenya.
Etiolles (France)
Etiolles is the name of an Upper Paleolithic (Magdalenian) site located on the Seine River near Corbeil-Essonnes about 30 kilometers south of Paris, France.
Hayonim Cave (Israel)
Hayonim Cave is the name of a cave located on the Mediterranean coast of Israel, in a limestone bluff about 250 meters above modern sea level.
Howiesons Poort and Stillbay Industries
The most advanced industries of the Middle Stone Age are those of the Howiesons Poort and Stillbay industries of southern Africa.
Kebara Cave (Israel)
Located on the western escarpment of Mount Carmel, Kebara Cave has two important components, Middle Paleolithic Aurignacian and Mousterian, and Epi-Paleolithic Natufian.
Jwalapuram (India)
Jwalapuram is an open air site in Andhra Pradesh of southern India, where 7.5 meters of sediment includes artifacts before and after the Toba ashfall, dated at ~74,000 years ago.
Kaletepe Deresi 3 (Turkey)
The site of Kaletepe Deresi 3 is located in the Göllü Dag region of central Turkey, and it contains at least three Middle and Lower Paleolithic archaeological components
Niah Cave (Borneo)
The Great Cave of Niah in an important Middle Paleolithic] archaeological site in Borneo, and part of the Southern Disperal Route argument.
Molodova I (Ukraine)
The Middle and Upper Paleolithic site of Molodova is located on the Dniester River in the Chernovtsy province of the Ukraine.
Mousterian
The Mousterian industry is the name archaeologists have given to an ancient Middle Stone Age method of making stone tools
Flint Knapping Technology at Blombos Cave
Flint Knapping Technology at Blombos Cave
Southern Dispersal Route
The Southern Dispersal Route refers to a theory concerning an early migration of modern human beings from southern Africa to the east along the coastlines of Africa, Arabia and India to Australia and Melanesia between about 70,000 and 45,000 years ago.
Orgnac 3 (France)
The cave and open-air site of Orgnac 3 has 10 occupation levels dated to the Middle Paleolithic period. It is located in the Rhone Valley of France, near the Ardeche river.
Rose Cottage Cave (South Africa)
Rose Cottage is a Middle Paleolithic (Howiesons Poort) cave site located in the eastern Free State of South Africa.
Middle Paleolithic Sites in Europe
During the Middle Paleolithic in Europe (200,000-40,000 years ago) both Neanderthals and Anatomically Modern Humans shared the changing landscape.
This list of archaeological sites in Europe dated to the Middle Paleolithic was constructed as part of the Guide to Prehistoric Europe ; also see the Middle Paleolithic Timeline and Definition ...