Human socio-economic adaptation to environment in Late Palaeolithic, Mesolithic and Neolithic Eastern Europe

Abstract

The choice of adaptation ways depended considerably on social capabilities of prehistoric societies at different stage of anthropogenesis and material culture development. Studies performed on the East European Plain revealed essential features of systems of human adaptations at the Middle Paleolithic, Upper Paleolithic and later stages. The migratory type of adaptation was dominant at the Middle Paleolithic and at the beginning of Upper Paleolithic time when early humans were completely dependent on fluctuations of climate and environments. Since the second half of Upper Paleolithic the adaptability of humans increased with development and active use of a number of protective measures; under those conditions, the autochthonous type of adaptation became prevalent that ensured human survival even in extreme conditions. In later epochs a diffusion type made itself felt, which contributed to a relatively fast penetration of productive economy into various landscape systems.