The Gravettian toolmaking culture was a distinct…
26829 BCE to 25102 BCE
The Gravettian toolmaking culture was a distinct archaeological industry of the European Upper Paleolithic, flourishing before the last glacial maximum. It is named after its type site, La Gravette, in the Dordogne region of France, where its characteristic tools were first identified and studied.
The earliest evidence of the Gravettian culture dates to 32,000 years ago in the Crimean Mountains, and it lasted until approximately 22,000 years ago. Where found, it succeeds the Aurignacian culture in the archaeological record.
Gravettian Tools and Artistic Achievements
The defining artifacts of the Gravettian industry include:
- Small, pointed restruck blades with a blunt, straight back,
- The Noailles burin, a specialized carving tool, and
- Evidence of net hunting, used for catching small game.
The Gravettian cultural stage is also renowned for its artistic achievements, particularly the widespread creation of Venus figurines—hundreds of small, stylized depictions of the female form found across Europe. These figurines have ties to similar carvings from the preceding culture.
Regional Variations
The Gravettian culture is divided into two major regional groups:
- Western Gravettian – Found mostly in cave sites in France.
- Eastern Gravettian – Associated with specialized mammoth hunters, whose settlements were located on the open plains of Central Europe and Russia.
