Ice Age Migration

Subarctic and arid. The region experiences long, brutal winters with temperatures frequently dropping well below -20°C. Summers are short and cool, rarely exceeding 15°C. The air is dry, and high winds often sweep across the open steppe, kicking up dust and loess.

A rugged landscape of limestone plateaus (causses) and deep, winding river valleys. Due to the massive amount of water locked in glaciers, the sea level is approximately 80 to 100 meters lower than today, meaning the Mediterranean coast is dozens of miles further south, exposing a broad coastal plain.

Mousterian lithic technology, characterized by the Levallois flint-knapping technique to produce sharp, standardized flakes. Tools include side-scrapers (racloirs), notched tools (denticulates), and triangular points for spears. They utilize fire-starting kits (pyrite and flint), mineral pigments (ochre and manganese dioxide) for body decoration, and heavy wooden thrusting spears. There is no evidence of sewing needles, pottery, or the bow and arrow.

Daily life is a constant cycle of seasonal movement and resource management. In the summer, groups follow the reindeer migrations, setting up temporary camps near river crossings. Men and women collaborate in high-stakes hunts, using heavy thrusting spears to take down bison or horses. The butchery is a communal event, with every part of the animal used: meat for protein, marrow for fat, hides for clothing, and bone for fuel or simple tools. Evenings are spent around the hearth, the social heart of the group, where stone tools are knapped and hides are painstakingly scraped clean of fat using flint scrapers to prevent rot. Social bonds are maintained through grooming, storytelling, and the sharing of medicinal herbs like yarrow and chamomile.