Around 34‑30 kyr ago the Aurignacian waned and the Gravettian emerged, introducing Mad‑type bone points and smaller bladelets. Genetic continuity in Goyet and Costeni 14 (Kostenki) shows a West Eurasian source feeding the new culture, while Iberian and Balkan Aurignacians persisted longer.
Cave of Aurignacian culture introduced blade tool technology
Franceunverified
Key facts
- Cave of Aurignacian culture emerged 42,000 to 38,000 years ago in Europe
- Named after the site of Cave of Aurignac in France
- Stone and bone tools dramatically different from Neanderthal Mousterian tools
- Cave of Aurignacian knappers produced long blade and bladelet tools from prepared cores
- They made slender blades used as knives or inserted as projectile points in spears
- Bone and ivory points had distinctive split bases for mounting on wooden shafts
- The culture spread across the Iberian Peninsula into Central Europe
- Sites appeared along the Danube River in central Europe at caves like Geißenklösterle, Vogelherd, and Willendorf
Site mentioned
Sources
nature.com
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journals.openedition.org
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pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
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dspace.library.uvic.ca
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link.springer.com
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nature.com
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pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
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