Middle Paleolithic

archaeological period

The Mousterian (or Mode III) is an archaeological industry of stone tools, associated primarily with the Neanderthals in Europe, and with the earliest anatomically modern humans in North Africa and West Asia. The Mousterian largely defines the latter part of the Middle Paleolithic, the middle of the West Eurasian Old Stone Age. It lasted roughly from 160,000 to 40,000 BP. If its predecessor, known as Levallois or Levallois–Mousterian, is included, the range is extended to include as early as  300,000–200,000 BP. The main following period is the Aurignacian (c. 43,000–28,000 BP)

distinctive type of stone knapping technique used by ancient humans

alleged bone flute found in Divje Babe Cave

The Tayacian is a Palaeolithic stone tool industry that is a variant of the Mousterian. It was first identified as distinct by Abbé Breuil from the site of La Micoque in Les-Eyzies-de-Tayac although since then the cave at Fontéchevade has become the "reference site for this industry".

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proto-neandertal population or incertae sedis

Hohlenstein-Stadel is a cave located in the Hohlenstein cliff (not to be confused with the Hohle Fels) at the southern rim of the Lonetal (valley of the Lone) in the Swabian Jura in Germany. While first excavations were started after the second half of the 19th century, the significance of some of the findings was not realized until 1969. The most significant finding was a small ivory statue called the Löwenmensch, which is one of the oldest pieces of figurative art ever found.

cave in Bisotun, Iranian national heritage site

thumb|270px|The Islamabad-e Gharb Plain near Wezmeh Cave Wezmeh Cave is an archaeological site near Islamabad Gharb, western Iran, around southwest of the capital Tehran. The site was discovered in 1999 and excavated in 2001 by a team of Iranian archaeologists under the leadership of Kamyar Abdi. Wezmeh cave was re-excavated by a team under direction of Fereidoun Biglari in 2019.

cave and prehistoric archaeological site in Spain