Mesolithicum

Mesolithicum is a term used by some archaeologists to denote a transitional phase within the Mesolithic, the period between the late Upper Paleolithic and the adoption of agriculture. It is not a universally adopted label, and its definition and geographic scope vary among researchers.

In regional accounts, Mesolithicum is used to group sites and industries sharing particular lithic technologies, notably microlithic toolkits, backed bladelets, and composite implements. It often emphasizes increased exploitation of diverse resources, including inland foraging and coastal marine foods, and sometimes earlier evidence of short-term site clustering.

Chronologically, proposals for Mesolithicum generally place it after the initial Mesolithic foragers and before Neolithic plant domestication, roughly spanning the late 9th to 5th millennia BCE in parts of Europe, and within analogous post-glacial intervals in other temperate regions; dates are not standardized.

The concept is debated. Proponents argue it helps resolve regional variation in technology and subsistence, while critics warn that it creates artificial divisions within the Mesolithic. Archaeologists continue to rely on site-specific data and direct dating rather than broad labels.

See also: Mesolithic, Neolithic, microlith, lithic technology, hunter-gatherer.