Transitions Before the Transition : Evolution and Stability in the Middle Paleolithic and Middle Stone Age

Modern human origins and the fate of the Neanderthals are arguably the most compelling and contentious arenas in paleoanthropology. This book assembles researchers working in Eurasia and Africa to discuss the archaeological record of the Middle Paleolithic and the Middle Stone Age. Contributions query and challenge some current notions about the tempo and mode of cultural evolution, and about the processes that underlie the emergence of modern behavior. Coming to diverse conclusions, the papers in this volume open up new avenues to thinking about this crucial interval in human evolutionary history.