Variability and use of laminar products in the late Middle Paleolithic of the Central Balkans

Abstract

The European Middle Paleolithic laminar technologies can be divided into Levallois and non-Levallois blade production. Despite the abundance of detailed publications about the reduction strategies and their differences, only a few discuss the causes of their variability. The paper addresses the variability of laminar technology from the aspect of its use, mobility, and technological organization of Neanderthal communities in the Central Balkans in MIS 3. Results of use-wear analysis of Levallois and non-Levallois laminar products are compared with metrics, frequency, and raw material procurement, as indicators of their potential for carrying and reshaping with an aim to represent the fundamental differences between curated and expedient technological strategies. Integrated results, considered in the wider regional context, contribute to the understanding of laminar variability in the Middle Paleolithic, as the reconstruction of the technological behavior of Neanderthal communities