The Lower to Middle Palaeolithic transition and the onset of prepared-core technologies in Belgium

The Belgian territory has yielded a rich archaeological record related to the Ancient Palaeolithic, with 442 locations from this period. Of these, some were recovered in stratigraphic position and provide archaeological, chronostratigraphic and palaeoenvironmental data on the Lower to Middle Palaeolithic transition. In this paper, we present the oldest archaeological remains from the Belgian territory, from the first documented human settlements to the beginning of the Middle Palaeolithic (MIS 8). We then discuss the chronostratigraphic distribution of the sites, land-use strategies, and the Lower to Middle Palaeolithic transition in relation to the issue of the emergence of sophisticated prepared-core technologies, such as Levallois, in the North-Western European context.