7 characteristics of the Upper PALEOLITHIC

The characteristics of the Upper Paleolithic are the disappearance of the Neanderthal man, the rise of Homo Sapiens, the expansion of art, the improvement of tools... In a Teacher we tell you.

The Paleolithic was one of the longest historical periods throughout the history of humanity, being the beginning of the human race as we know it, and thereby marking the first characteristics of humanity. The great extension of the Paleolithic causes it to be divided into several phases, in order to be able to differentiate its evolution. And for this reason, in order to know one of these phases in depth, in this lesson from a Teacher we must talk about the main characteristics of the Upper Paleolithic.

The Upper Paleolithic is the third stage and, therefore, the last of those that divide the Paleolithic, being therefore the period after which it passed to the Mesolithic. This stage, which extends approximately from 40,000 to 12,000-10,000 years ago ago, represents a key stage in human evolution.

During the Upper Paleolithic,

humans, who had occupied the tasks of hunters and gatherers for thousands of years, underwent a radical transformation in their way of life. Life was less and less centered on these activities, and human beings were discovering new activities.

Next, we are going to discover the main characteristics of the Upper Paleolithic.

Here we offer you an overview of the Paleolithic features, in general terms.

To better understand the Upper Paleolithic we must talk about its main characteristics, to understand what its main differences with respect to other periods of Prehistory, and more specifically with respect to the other periods that make up the Paleolithic.

The main characteristics of the Upper Paleolithic are the following:

1. He neanderthalensis man HE extinguished completely, being the end of one of the ancestors of the human being that remained in the world for the longest time.
2. He Homo Sapiens Sapiens happened to be the predominant hominid species in the world, marking the influence that it would have in the following centuries, and being therefore the birth of the human being as the protagonist of the world.
3. It was the period in which the domestication of the dog, being the species that has been closest to the human being since then.
4. He paleolithic art becomes something very common for the human being, being common to find paintings throughout the world, being the case for example of the paintings of Altamira.
5. The human being was still a hunter-gatherer, but the first economic activities that differed from this, being the basis of what would be seen in the future.
6. The paleolithic tools are perfected, developing new and different techniques of work. These new tools were used for many tasks, and especially those related to hunting.
7. It is the last glacial stage until today, since after the end of this period the temperatures rose again, ending with the icy cold.

To continue with this OneTeacher lesson on the main characteristics of the Upper Paleolithic, we must talk about how the Upper Paleolithic in each of the regions, in order to see the different evolutions that this period had in different points of geography world.

Europe

The European Upper Paleolithic extends between the arrival of Homo Sapiens in Europe and the beginning of the Holocene. It was marked by a improvement in tool making, since they achieved a laminating technique that allows to obtain very innovative flakes.

There were many cultural groups that appeared on this continent, but without a doubt the most relevant were the Chatelperronian, Magdalenian, Aurignacian, and Solutrean. These cultures are the ones that centuries later would give rise to some of the most common peoples of the Ancient Age, such as the Iberians.

Africa and Asia

Within these continents we can speak of a great variety of cultures, ranging from the sTillbayan South African to Kebarian of the Middle East area. We can say that what all these cultures had in common were two things, one the use of ivory for make tools, and the other microlithism, since it was common for them to make small tools of stone. It was these peoples who made up the first settlers of the Nile, whose evolution marked the advancement of the human being.

Oceania

It is thought that the Upper Paleolithic of this area was marked by the constant land roads between islands, which allowed human groups to cross between islands with barely having to navigate, the map of the time being very different from the current one due to the constant movements of the continents.

Among the main characteristics of the members of the Upper Paleolithic of Oceania, we can talk about the boat making from bamboo, funerals in which ocher and cremation were used, and rock art made in caves and shelters, being especially common on the island of Tasmania.

America

It is thought that human beings reached the American continent by crossing the Bering Strait in the last moments of the last ice age. For this reason, the Upper Paleolithic of the Americans It was quite different from what emerged in the rest of the world, having a different evolution. Possibly the biggest difference between these human beings and the rest of the world were the tips of their tools, made with materials that could not be found on other continents.