Lower Palaeolithic Settlement of the Balkans: Evidence from Caves and Open-air Sites

Abstract

Abstract It is assumed that the Balkan Peninsula may have represented a major migratory corridor and the area where hominin groups initially adapted to the ecological conditions of the temperate climate during the Early and Middle Pleistocene. Until recently, these ideas could only be assessed hypothetically, due to the very small number of identified archaeological sites. This situation changed with discoveries of sites in the Lower Danube (Kozarnika, Dealul Guran), Aegean (Kokkinopilos, Marathousa 1, Rodafnidia) and Central Balkan (Balanica Cave Complex) regions, which presented artefacts in stratigraphic contexts, most of them well-dated. In addition to these sites, a large number of Lower and Middle Palaeolithic surface lithic scatters have been recorded in the Central and Southern Balkans. Concentrations of finds were recorded on the highest river terraces and in the vicinity of mineral deposits. Recent research provides preliminary insights into the cultural, demographic and behavioural changes in the Lower Palaeolithic of South-eastern Europe, the issues of the Lower to Middle Palaeolithic transition, and the connections with Anatolia and the Middle East. It has been established that there is great potential for research directed towards the identification of Lower Palaeolithic sites in fluvial and lacustrine geological settings.