Differences in variability and use of Levallois and Non-Levallois laminar blanks in the late Middle Paleolithic of the central Balkans

Abstract

Despite the abundance of publications in the last forty years, as detailed studies on reduction processes, the existence and co-existence of Levallois and non-Levallois laminar strategies and their variability in the Middle Paleolithic in Europe still need to be better understood. Many reasons could influence the appearance of these two types of laminar products: technological traditions, land use strategies, subsistence, mobility, and raw material availability, but also different ways of utilization of lithic products. The wider research scope of our study covers all the listed factors; however, we have chosen to focus on the function of the tools and their relations to the behavioral patterns of the Neanderthal communities in the late Middle Paleolithic of Central Balkans. The analyzed material comes from five archaeological sites, dating in MIS 3. Totally 15 Levallois and 65 non-Levallois laminar blanks are studied technologically and functionally. The complexity of activities obtained with those tools is viewed and discussed with raw material procurement data and metrics as indicators of their potential for carrying and reshaping with an aim to represent the fundamental differences between curated and expedient technological strategies.