Abstract

Typologies of stone tools from prehistoric archaeological sites have traditionally provided the basis for normative models based on presumed ethno-chronologies. The study presented in this article relies on microscopic use-wear of stone tools from Upper Palaeolithic sites in Central Europe to suggest a far greater interpretive potential for lithic assemblages. Willendorf, Dolní Vĕstonice, and Pavlov are well-known Gravettian sites with some of the earliest examples of carved figurines and textile fibres. Yet despite their geographic proximity their similarities and differences have rarely been seriously studied. The results of the lithic use-wear study from the sites suggest a varied seasonal occupation for both sites, permitting a more nuanced interpretation of different stone tool assemblages. This line of evidence suggests that some Palaeolithic sites may have been occupied for much longer intervals than previously considered.