Stone artefacts from Saaleck and their position in the late Young Palaeolithic between the rivers Weisse Elster, Saale and Unstrut

Abstract

The central part of this article is the presentation of the hitherto unpublished stone artefacts from the large Magdalenian site Saaleck (Burgenlandkreis, Saxony-Anhalt). For this purpose, the results so far published on this open air site are summarised and the data is contextualised within the findings on the late Young Palaeolithic of Central Germany from the last decades. Functional differences to other Magdalenian sites of the region cannot be distinguished. However, the flint tools from Saaleck are characterised by distinctive features. Following a discussion on archaeostratigraphy of the late Young Palaeolithic and the Late Palaeolithic between the rivers Weisse Elster, Saale and Unstrut it appears plausible to date the site Saaleck later than the Nebra Group of the Central German Magdalenian.