Epipaleolithic
Sign in to saveIn archaeology, the Epipalaeolithic or Epipaleolithic (sometimes Epi-paleolithic etc.) is a period occurring between the Upper Paleolithic and Neolithic during the Stone Age. Mesolithic also falls between these two periods, and the two are sometimes confused or used as synonyms. More often, they are distinct, referring to approximately the same period of time in different geographic areas. Epipaleolithic always includes this period in the Levant and, often, the rest of the Near East. It sometimes includes parts of Southeast Europe, where Mesolithic is much more commonly used. Mesolithic very r
Key facts
- Archaeological culture.name
- Epipalaeolithic
- Archaeological culture.map
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- Archaeological culture.mapcaption
- Epipalaeolithic stone mortar and pestle, Kebaran culture, Epipaleolithic Near East. 22000-18000 BP
- Archaeological culture.altnames
- Mesolithic (for Europe)
- Archaeological culture.region
- Near East
- Archaeological culture.period
- End of Old Stone Age
- Archaeological culture.dates
- 20,000 to 10,000 BP
- Archaeological culture.precededby
- Levantine Aurignacian (Upper Paleolithic)
- Archaeological culture.followedby
- Neolithic
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In archaeology, the Epipalaeolithic or Epipaleolithic (sometimes Epi-paleolithic etc.) is a period occurring between the Upper Paleolithic and Neolithic during the Stone Age. Mesolithic also falls between these two periods, and the two are sometimes confused or used as synonyms. More often, they are distinct, referring to approximately the same period of time in different geographic areas. Epipaleolithic always includes this period in the Levant and, often, the rest of the Near East. It sometimes includes parts of Southeast Europe, where Mesolithic is much more commonly used. Mesolithic very rarely includes the Levant or the Near East; in Europe, Epipalaeolithic is used, though not very often, to refer to the early Mesolithic.
The Epipalaeolithic has been defined as the "final Upper Palaeolithic industries occurring at the end of the final glaciation which appear to merge technologically into the Mesolithic". The period is generally dated from BP to 10,000 BP in the Levant, but later in Europe. If used as a synonym or equivalent for Mesolithic in Europe, it might end at about BP or even later.