Gravettian

Gravettian

The Gravettian was an industry of the European Upper Palaeolithic. It is named after the type site of La Gravette in the Dordogne region of France. It dates from between 28,000 and 22,000 years ago and succeeded the Aurignacian.

The diagnostic artifact of the industry is a small pointed restruck blade with a blunt but straight back, known as a Noailles burin. Artistic achievements of the Gravettian cultural stage included the Venus figurines. The industry had counterparts across central Europe and into Russia.

Gravettian culture

A phase (c.28,000–23,000 ya) of the European Upper Paleolithic that is characterized by a stone-tool industry with small pointed blades used for big-game hunting (bison, horse, reindeer and mammoth). It is divided into two regional groups: the western Gravettian, mostly known from cave sites in France, and the eastern Gravettian, with open sites of specialized mammoth hunters on the plains of central Europe and Russia. Some early examples of cave art and the famous 'Venus' figurines were made by Gravettian artists.

External links

* [http://www.culture.gouv.fr/culture/actualites/index-cussac.htm Cave sites in France]
* [http://www.iabrno.cz/agalerie/aagalery.htm Picture Gallery of the Paleolithic (reconstructional palaeoethnology)] , Libor Balák at the Czech Academy of Sciences, the Institute of Archaeology in Brno, The Center for Paleolithic and Paleoethnological Research

ee also

*Upper Paleolithic
*Perigordian
*Synoptic table of the principal old world prehistoric cultures
*Solutrean
*Venus figurines


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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Gravettian — [grə vet′ē ən] adj. [after La Gravette, France, site of archaeological discoveries + IAN] designating or of an Upper Paleolithic culture, characterized by flint points resembling a pointed knife blade with a blunted back …   English World dictionary

  • Gravettian — /greuh vet ee euhn/, adj. of, pertaining to, or characteristic of an advanced Upper Paleolithic industry of Europe dating to c25,000 B.C. and characterized by straight, blunt backed blades. [1935 40; after la Gravette on the Dordogne, France; see …   Universalium

  • Gravettian — [grə vɛtɪən] adjective Archaeology relating to or denoting an Upper Palaeolithic culture in Europe following the Aurignacian, dated to about 28,000–19,000 years ago. Origin 1930s: from la Gravette in SW France, where objects from this culture… …   English new terms dictionary

  • gravettian — gra·vett·ian …   English syllables

  • Gravettian — /grəˈvɛtiən/ (say gruh veteeuhn) adjective of, relating to, or characteristic of an Upper Palaeolithic culture of Europe. {name after La Gravette, an archaeological site in Dordogne, France, where artefacts from this culture were found; see ian} …  

  • gravettian — grəˈved.ēən adjective Usage: usually capitalized Etymology: La Gravette, rock shelter in the Couze valley of the Dordogne, France + English ian : of or relating to an Upper Paleolithic culture widespread in Europe and typified by a narrow pointed …   Useful english dictionary

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