Evidence for Neanderthal Hand Preferences from the Late Middle Palaeolithic Site of Buhlen, Germany: Insights into Neanderthal Learning Behaviour

Bifacially backed knives (“Keilmesser”) are known from different European Middle Palaeolithic contexts. However, this specific tool type is both so characteristic of and so frequent within Central and Eastern European late Middle Palaeolithic bifacial assemblages which are generally classed together as “Micoquian” that they should more appropriately be described by the term “Keilmessergruppen” (KMG). The KMG sites of Central Europe date into late OIS 5 until mid-OIS 3.