The emergence of the Acheulian in Europe - A look from the east

After nearly 150 years of research, many aspects of the emergence of the Acheulian techno-complex in Europe are still under debate. They include: the chronology of the appearance of the Acheulian, its geographical origin, the technology and typology of its assemblages, the actual stages (if any) of its development and the tempo and intensity of its spread into Europe. In this paper, we offer an eastern perspective for exploring these issues. We examine the European evidence in light of the current knowledge of the Lower Paleolithic sequence in the Levant. The primary contribution of this viewpoint is the identification of a 'Large Flake' stage within the European Acheulian which, we suggest, should be seen as the earliest stage of the Acheulian presence in this part of the world. While well-defined elsewhere, the Large Flake Acheulian sites of Europe are found primarily in the Iberian Peninsula. We suggest that all other, later, Acheulian sites in the continent can be attributed to the stage defined in the Levant as 'Late Acheulian'. The resulting chronological and cultural implications are discussed below.