Mesolithic hunter-gatherers traded flint 500 miles across Europe. Mesolithic flint in central Andalusia traced to south of France, approximately 500 miles away This trade occurred before the arrival of farmers Geological and chemical analysis identified the source material
Hunter-gatherers in Mesolithic Europe weren't the isolated groups we once assumed. Geological analysis traced flint found in central Andalusia back to sources south of France—around 500 miles away. These mobile groups maintained far-flung exchange networks long before agriculture ever arrived in the region 🌿📍 It challenges our whole picture of pre-farmer societies
Key Facts
- Mesolithic flint in central Andalusia traced to south of France, approximately 500 miles away
- This trade occurred before the arrival of farmers
- Geological and chemical analysis identified the source material
- Hunter-gatherers were not as insular as traditionally believed
Source: Debating the Mysteries of Trade & Exchange in the Neolithic by The Prehistory Guys