The earliest settlement of Germany: Is there anything out there?

The German Lower Palaeolithic is well known for its fossil remains of Mauer and Steinheim, and its famous archaeological sites at Bilzingsleben and Schoningen. However, all these sites are dated to a maximum of 600,000 years or much later. While the presence of fossil remains lead to the acceptance of a human occupation of Germany and Central Europe for about 600 ka, earlier indications in form of lithic assemblages are sparse and doubtful. For this paper, evidence was gathered from Early and Middle Pleistocene sites. Seven sites with human fossil remains are described. Archaeological evidence of the Late Early to Early Middle Pleistocene is still sparse: for the time range of 1000-450 ka, altogether seven sites with small and in part questionable artefact assemblages are discussed. Although some of the sites with pebble and flake tool technologies dating after 450 ka are of similar character, there are also well documented sites with large stone and also wooden artefact inventories that have had strong influence on our understandings of hominid behaviour. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd and INQUA. All rights reserved.