Les premiers peuplements humains de l’Est des Carpates et de leurs abords dans le contexte européen
The first human occupations East of Carpathians and their significance in the European context

Summary/Abstract: The oldest human remains unearthed in Europe were discovered in the Iberian Peninsula. Their age is between 1.4 and 1.2 Ma. Lithic assemblages older than 1 Ma have been unearthed in southwestern Europe (Italy, southern France, Spain). They have often been attributed to Mode 1 but are contemporary with the African Acheulean. In North-West Europe, north of the Loire, the colonization of the high latitude regions seems to have taken place more recently, from 740 ka as shown by the flint artefacts discovered in East Anglia and the first manifestations of the Acheulean. The few data, both lithic and biological, indicate that in central Europe the oldest settlements are much later, of the order of 500 ka which would seem to exclude a settlement of Europe by an eastern route. The lithic industries of Central Europe are characterized by an absence of bifacial pieces. We have little information for the eastern part of the Carpathians, but some lithic series are older than 600 ka.

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