Classification of the Mousterian
Clasificación del Musteriense
- Date
- 1869 · confidence high
- Place
- Le Moustier, France
- Credited to
- Gabriel de Mortillet
- Field
- Cosmos & Earth
What was discovered
Prehistorian Gabriel de Mortillet proposes a system of lithic industries based on type sites and names the 'Mousterian', the flake-tool industry associated with Neanderthals, after the rock shelter of Le Moustier.
The Mousterian industry itself is much older (documented from roughly 160,000 to 40,000 years ago); 1869 is the date of its modern classification and identification, not of its origin.
What it led to
- Classification system for the Palaeolithic by type sites
- Association of the Mousterian industry with Neanderthals
- Comparative prehistoric archaeology in Europe