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Peopling of Central Europe by Middle Pleistocene hominids is highly debatable, mainly due to the relatively harsh climatic and environmental conditions that require cultural and anatomical adjustments. At least several archaeological sites certify human occupation in the region dated back to MIS 13-11, but they represent open-air settlements. Based on the new fieldwork conducted in Tunel Wielki Cave, we can date the human occupation traces in the cave to MIS 14-12. Bipolar-on-anvil knapping technique prevails in the lithic assemblage, made exclusively in flint. The obtained results have given ground for studying the frontiers of human oikumene and the required cultural adaptive abilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent excavations in Ciemna Cave in the Prądnik valley near Ojców, southern Poland have brought to light new stratigraphic and techno-typological evidence concerning Late Middle Palaeolithic groups and their cultural affinities. In 2007, excavations began in the hitherto-unexplored main chamber of Ciemna Cave, with the goal of clarifying the results of previous work in other parts of the cave. During excavation the rocky floor of the cave was reached. About 1000 stone artifacts have been collected to date. Three cultural traditions have been documented: Mousterian, Taubachian, and Micoquian. Within the Micoquian tradition, three cultural levels were observed, which enriches the previous understanding of occupational phases at the site. These findings permit revision of the traditional terms “Prądnik industry” and “Prądnik technique.” [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The Middle Palaeolithic site in Pronyatyn village is situated on the Ternopil Plateau, on the eastern, long and straight slope of the Krucha Gora hill (369.5 m a.s.l.). The structure of loess cover in this area was investigated in the series of archaeological excavations to a depth of 5–6 m in 1977–1985, 2010 and 2011. Lithological, palaeomagnetical and palynological analyses, as well as TL dating were carried out in the selected profiles. In all profiles, under thin cover of loess from the last aeolian deposition sub-cycle (MIS 2), a set of soils of S1 = Gorohiv s.l. ; (MIS 5 complex) exists. This complex is composed of interglacial and interstadial units. Forest and forest-steppe vegetation, followed by a rich steppe with the continuous occurrence of trees and shrubs and without subarctic elements, developed during the stages of its formation. Based on the investigations of loess cover carried out over a large area, it was found that all sequences are spatially diversified in the profiles located along and across the slope in the middle part of this area. This diversity resulted from the development of pedogenetic and slope processes, depending on morphological features of individual slope segments. In the southern part of the study area, outside the extent of artifact occurrence, the deposits representing MIS 5 are undisturbed or slightly disturbed and contain a loess-soil sequence, which is composed of the interglacial Cambisol (with evidence for the Blake palaeomagnetic event) and 2–3 interstadial soils. Artifacts were discovered in the northern and northwestern parts of the study area, within a solifluctionally redeposited chernozem occurring on a denuded Luvisol. Based on the analysis of the artifact collection, the flint industry is the Western-Podolian, Levallois, radial-parallel, flakes-and-blades, without two-sided tools and with domination of knife-like products on Levallois blanks. This suggestion of the flint industry age as within the younger part of MIS 5 is supported by TL dates. It is most possible that this settlement took place in MIS 5c. Based on spatial distribution of artifacts, state of their preservation, and the features of solifluction deposits representing the younger part of MIS 5, we conclude that the site was originally located on the slope above the excavation area, about 30–50 m to the west. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The Velykyi Glybochok multicomponent open-air Palaeolithic site is situated in Podolia, Western Ukraine. In addition to the Final Palaeolithic and Upper Palaeolithic cultural layers, three Middle Palaeolithic ones were discovered in a sequence of loess with fossil soils covering Neogene limestones exposed in a local quarry. The present paper discusses the characteristics of archaeological materials found in the site as well as the main results of the geological, palaeopedological and palaeontological (mammals and molluscs) investigation. They are used for reconstruction of the past environment changes and stratigraphical interpretation. The oldest cultural layer III is connected with the Korshiv fossil soil (in Ukrainian nomenclature) of the penultimate interglacial (MIS 7); layer III B with the Ternopil Horizon corresponding with climatic amelioration during the penultimate glacial (MIS 6); and layer III A with the Gorohiv fossil soil originated during MIS 5. In the western part of Eastern Europe, outside the Carpathians, several Mousterian sites dated to the last interglacial are known, but Velykyi Glybochok is the only site where Palaeolithic settlement dated to MIS 7 and 6 is documented. The participation of Levalloisian elements is characteristic for artifacts of all the Middle Palaeolithic (Mousterian) cultural assemblages of Velykyi Glybochok. This suggests a local origin of the Dniesterian Mousterian culture with the Levalloisian technique of stone flaking. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]