Middle Paleolithic cultural traditions in Central and Eastern Europe

Neanderthal societies were divided into distinct multi-millennial traditions, primarily based on different regions and exhibiting particular evolutions. To define them, it is necessary to elaborate an appropriate methodology that distinguishes random variations from those inherited by education. All the traces must be confronted there: habitat, economy, burials and techniques. Totally human, Neanderthal populations have elaborated value systems deployed over the long term, by self-definition and mutual isolation. Episodic contacts can be detected from one to the other, true witnesses of the "history'' of Middle Paleolithic civilizations. (C) 2021 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.