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Map of Mesolithic Europe 8000 BC |
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The long-lasting Palaeolithic period had seen the initial stages of habitation in Europe by anatomically modern humans. Tools and hunting territory had steadily improved and broadened, albeit with occasional declines due to small periods of ice expansion. By 8000 BC the ice sheet was almost gone, lingering only in Scandinavia and a few higher points across continental Europe and the British Isles. Europe's Mesolithic had begun, although dates for this start are different for other world regions. Although culturally and technologically continuous with Palaeolithic cultures, Mesolithic cultures quickly developed diverse local adaptations for special environments. The Mesolithic hunter achieved greater levels of efficiency than did their Palaeolithic ancestors. They were able to exploit a wider range of animal and vegetable food sources. From a little after 7000 BC, immigrant Neolithic farmers probably absorbed many indigenous Mesolithic foragers (hunters and fishers), and some Neolithic communities seem to have been composed entirely of Mesolithic peoples who adopted Neolithic equipment (these are sometimes known as 'Secondary Neolithic'). As the Mesolithic is characterised by a suite of material culture points, its timing varies by location. In north-western Europe, for instance, the Mesolithic began around 8000 BC, at the end of the Pleistocene, and lasted until about 2700 BC. Elsewhere, dates for the Mesolithic are somewhat different. Scroll the map left and right to view it in its entirety. To select a culture or territory for further information, click on its name or anywhere within its borders.
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Original text and map copyright © P L Kessler and the History Files, based in part on map material presented by Indo-European.eu. An original feature for the History Files. Go back or return home. |
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