Late Palaeolithic to Early Mesolithic transition in the Carpathian Basin: A re-evaluation of the Szekszárd-Palánk site

Abstract

Szekszárd-Palánk is one of the handful in situ excavated sites from the Late Glacial period of East-Central Europe which is also supported by radiometric dating. However, the considerable time that has passed since its discovery necessitates a revision, the topic of this paper. The technotypological analogues of the assemblage are Late Epigravettian – Early Mesolithic sites of the Northern Balkans to the south, and Epimagdalenian sites of the Moravian Basin to the north. These analogues, the southern location and northern raw materials of the site support two previous hypotheses: the regional survival of the Epigravettian traditions, and the pivotal role of the Danube in the communication between East-Central Europe and the Balkans in the Late Glacial – Early Postglacial. The site is thus identified as a Final Epigravettan, Late Palaeolithic – Early Mesolithic transitional industry.