The implications for Middle Palaeolithic culture history of recent attempts at radiometric dating

A considerable number of attempts have been made to apply various radiometric techniques, in particular U-series and TL, to that part of the later Middle and early Upper Pleistocene beyond the reach of 14-C dating. Many of the ages obtained relate to Middle Palaeolithic industries or the hominids we assume made them. While undoubtedly many of these datings will come to be revised in future as our understanding of the technical problems involved in these dating techniques evolve, nonetheless enough dates now exist for us to re-examine the chronological pattern of cultural change they suggest. An attempt will be made to present an overview of the corpus of dates already published and their implications for the thorny, if ancient, question of the meaning of the patterned technological variation found in Middle Palaeolithic assemblages, particularly from deeply-stratified sites.