Quina Mousterian
Encyclopedia
The Middle Palaeolithic or the "Age of the Neanderthals", is characterised by the occurrence of several Middle Palaeolithic cultures. One of the "lithic" or "stone" cultures is called "Quina Mousterian," one of several mousterian
variants. Quina Mousterian is usually dominated by transverse scrapers and typically has a Levallois
index of less than 10%.
Quina Mousterian lithic assemblages are usually found in caves. Very few Quina assemblages have been found outside cave and rock shelters. However, an important lithic assemblage, which was characterised by the presence of Quina tools and Levallois
core reduction has recently been excavated at the Middle Palaeolithic valley settlements at Veldwezelt-Hezerwater
in Belgium
. The researchers who have excavated the Quina assemblage at the so-called "WFL site" at Veldwezelt-Hezerwater
prefer to call the WFL lithic assemblage: "Levallois core reduction with Quina tools."
Quina Mousterian lithic assemblages in Southern France
mostly date to the Early Weichselian (70,000-60,000BP), while Quina Mousterian lithic assemblages in Belgium
mostly date to the first half of the Middle Weichselian (60,000-45,000).
A typical Quina Mousterian lithic assemblage is found in Axlor
site, in the Basque Country (Spain), dated at the end of OIS3 (44,000 BP).
Mousterian
Mousterian is a name given by archaeologists to a style of predominantly flint tools associated primarily with Homo neanderthalensis and dating to the Middle Paleolithic, the middle part of the Old Stone Age.-Naming:...
variants. Quina Mousterian is usually dominated by transverse scrapers and typically has a Levallois
Levallois
Levallois may refer to:*Levallois-Perret, a commune in the northwestern suburbs of Paris, France.*Levallois technique *Nicolas-Eugène Levallois*Levallois SC, a current French football club...
index of less than 10%.
Quina Mousterian lithic assemblages are usually found in caves. Very few Quina assemblages have been found outside cave and rock shelters. However, an important lithic assemblage, which was characterised by the presence of Quina tools and Levallois
Levallois
Levallois may refer to:*Levallois-Perret, a commune in the northwestern suburbs of Paris, France.*Levallois technique *Nicolas-Eugène Levallois*Levallois SC, a current French football club...
core reduction has recently been excavated at the Middle Palaeolithic valley settlements at Veldwezelt-Hezerwater
Veldwezelt-Hezerwater
Veldwezelt-Hezerwater is a Palaeolithic archaeological site in the municipality of Lanaken in the province of Limburg, Belgium.-Context:The successive archaeological excavation campaigns at Veldwezelt-Hezerwater, Belgium, provide important remains of at least five separate Middle Palaeolithic...
in Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
. The researchers who have excavated the Quina assemblage at the so-called "WFL site" at Veldwezelt-Hezerwater
Veldwezelt-Hezerwater
Veldwezelt-Hezerwater is a Palaeolithic archaeological site in the municipality of Lanaken in the province of Limburg, Belgium.-Context:The successive archaeological excavation campaigns at Veldwezelt-Hezerwater, Belgium, provide important remains of at least five separate Middle Palaeolithic...
prefer to call the WFL lithic assemblage: "Levallois core reduction with Quina tools."
Quina Mousterian lithic assemblages in Southern France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
mostly date to the Early Weichselian (70,000-60,000BP), while Quina Mousterian lithic assemblages in Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
mostly date to the first half of the Middle Weichselian (60,000-45,000).
A typical Quina Mousterian lithic assemblage is found in Axlor
Axlor
Axlor is a prehistoric archeological site in the village of Dima in Biscay in the Autonomous Basque Community of Spain, dating from the Middle Paleolithic or Mousterian period.-Excavation:...
site, in the Basque Country (Spain), dated at the end of OIS3 (44,000 BP).
External links
- The Middle Palaeolithic sites at Veldwezelt-Hezerwater