6.2 Europe in the Middle Palaeolithic

This lesson introduces the Middle PalaeolithicA phase of the Stone Age characterized by the rise and dominance of Neanderthals in Eurasia, dating from ~300,000 to 40,000 years ago. of Europe and Western Asia, examining the climate, ecology, and environmental conditions that shaped Neanderthal life. It explores how fluctuating ice ages, shifting landscapes, and changing resources influenced Neanderthal adaptation, survival, and movement across the continent during this crucial period of human prehistory.

Climate and Environmental Change in the Middle Palaeolithic

During the PleistoceneThe geological epoch from about 2.6 million to 11,700 years ago, characterised by repeated glacial cycles and the presence of early humans. of Europe, the region underwent numerous cycles of extreme weather. The popular understanding of the middle palaeolithic is that of an ice age and cave men, of mammoths and hunters – an understanding that is far from perfect but does represent some of the period well. So here we will delve deeper into the environments, landscapes, and overall picture of the European (and near eastern) middle palaeolithic.

Central to the environment of and changes in this period is the ice age. The period is defined by the stadialA cold phase within a glacial period, marked by the advance of ice sheets and harsher environmental conditions. and interstadialA warmer period within a broader glacial epoch, marked by temporary retreat of glaciers and improved climate conditions. periods mentioned in the previous lesson, meaning Neanderthal populations experienced enormously different climates over the centuries, thousands, and tens of thousands of years they inhabited Eurasia. Marine Isotope Stages (MIS, sometimes known as Oxygen Isotope Stages, OIS) are the most common method used to highlight the rough rise and fall of warm and cold periods.

MIS are used to show variation in oxygen-18 preserved ocean and glacial layers – variation that reflects global temperature. Different cycles are identifiable in MIS sequences and can be used to roughly highlight global temperature trends. These stages are particularly applicable in Western Eurasia, which experienced substantial glaciation extending southward from the arctic circle, as well as glaciers throughout the alps, the pyrenees, the carpathians, and the caucuses. Glacial (stadial) periods were freezing wastelands populated sparsely by large grazing herbivores and multi-role scavengers. In comparison, inter-glacial (interstadial) periods were often warmer than today, with Mediterranean weather in Northern Europe. We will discuss these general environments next, as well as the impact they had on Neanderthal societies at the time.