Upper Paleolithic
The later phase of the Paleolithic in Eurasia, marked by anatomically modern humans, diverse stone-tool traditions, and flourishing symbolic art.
Paleolithic: The earliest and longest period of human prehistory, characterized by stone tools and foraging economies. The Upper Paleolithic is the later phase of this broader Stone Age period.
Blade technology: Stone-tool production that detaches elongated flakes at least twice as long as they are wide. Blade production became widespread in many Upper Paleolithic tool traditions.
Chauvet Cave: A decorated cave in southern France containing animal images dating to the Aurignacian period. Its early paintings document sophisticated image-making near the beginning of the European Upper Paleolithic.
Aurignacian: An early Upper Paleolithic archaeological culture of Europe, associated with blade tools, ornaments, and figurative art. It represents one of the earliest widespread Upper Paleolithic traditions in Europe.
Cave painting: Images made on the walls or ceilings of caves, including painted animals, signs, and human figures. Upper Paleolithic cave art transformed enclosed spaces into durable settings for visual expression.
Homo sapiens: The living human species, originating in Africa and now distributed worldwide. Anatomically modern humans spread across Eurasia during this phase.
Microlith: A small stone tool, often shaped for insertion into a composite implement. Some later Upper Paleolithic groups made tiny components for versatile weapons and tools.
Lascaux: A cave in southwestern France known for its large, richly colored Paleolithic animal paintings. Its imagery is among the best-known examples of Upper Paleolithic cave art.
Châtelperronian: A late Middle Paleolithic or early Upper Paleolithic archaeological industry in western Europe, associated with Neanderthals. Its artifacts raise questions about cultural change and contact during the transition in Europe.
Personal ornament: A wearable or body-applied object used to adorn the body or communicate social information. Beads and pendants provide evidence of identity and social signaling in Upper Paleolithic communities.