"Uncovering 9 Distinct Cultures of Ice Age Europe Through Prehistoric Jewelry"
A study published in Nature Human Behaviour reveals that European hunter gatherers during the Ice Age were not a single homogenous culture, but rather comprised of multiple distinct cultural groups, as evidenced by the statistical analysis of ornaments used by the Gravettians. The research challenges the long-held assumption that the Gravettians were a pan-European culture, showing that there were at least nine geographic clusters with distinct ornament styles. This cultural diversity aligns with genetic variability among the Gravettians, suggesting that different lineages contributed to the formation of these distinct cultural groups. The study sheds light on the complexity of Ice Age societies and their cultural interactions, indicating that Europe was already a mosaic of diverse cultures and populations before the Last Glacial Maximum.