The East African origin of the Western European Acheulean technology: Fact or paradigm?

摘要

The East African genesis of the Western European Acheulean is an axiom for most scholars. The main component of the Acheulean, i.e. lithic assemblages, has been used to identify technical traditions, as well as to draw scenarios on the tempos, modes, causes and origin(s) of the early peopling of Europe. The presence and frequency of large shaped tools has been seen as a proxy of the emergence and development of the Acheulean technology. Despite the typological variability of these tools, which was already highlighted during the 20th century, the East African and the Western European Acheulean have been usually considered as a homogeneous entity when comparing lithic techno-complexes and creating models for the European human settlements.