Mousterian

or Mous·tie·ri·an

[ moo-steer-ee-uhn ]

adjective

, Anthropology.

1. of or relating to a Middle Paleolithic culture of Neanderthal man dating to the early upper Pleistocene Epoch (c100,000–40,000 b.c.) and consisting of five or more stone-artifact traditions in Europe whose characteristic tools are side scrapers and points.
2. pertaining to Paleolithic human relics having the workmanship, finish, and character of the flint scrapers found in the sands of Moustier, France.

Mousterian

/ muːˈstɪərɪən /

noun

1. a culture characterized by flint flake tools and associated with Neanderthal man, found throughout Europe, North Africa, and the Near East, dating from before 70 000–32 000 bc

adjective

1. of or relating to this culture

Mousterian

/ mo̅o̅-stîr′ē-ən /

1. Relating to a Middle Paleolithic tool culture that succeeded the Acheulian, ending around 35,000 years ago and traditionally associated with Neanderthals. While Mousterian tools show improvements in stone-flaking techniques over Acheulian tools, they remain largely unchanged over long periods of time and show little of the rapid innovation and specialization that characterize tool cultures of the Upper Paleolithic associated with modern humans.

Word History and Origins

Origin of Mousterian¹

1885–90; < French moust ( i ) érien; -ian

Word History and Origins

Origin of Mousterian¹

C20: from French Moustérien from archaeological finds of the same period in the cave of Le Moustier, Dordogne, France

Example Sentences

The implements are of a roughly-chipped type resembling those of the Mousterian period.

From Project Gutenberg

For the evidence of the stone implements accompanying the human bones is fairly definite: it points to the Mousterian age.

From Project Gutenberg

It is not clearly stated whether implements of Mousterian type occurred in these, the deepest strata of the cave-floor.

From Project Gutenberg

A human skeleton was found in the floor of the grotto, and below strata characterised by Mousterian implements.

From Project Gutenberg

This is described by some authorities as Mousterian, by others as Aurignacian; in either case as of an early Palaeolithic aspect.

From Project Gutenberg