Gravettian

[ gruh-vet-ee-uhn ]

adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of an advanced Upper Paleolithic industry of Europe dating to c25,000 b.c. and characterized by straight, blunt-backed blades.

Gravettian

/ ɡrəˈvɛtɪən /

adjective

1. of, referring to, or characteristic of an Upper Palaeolithic culture, characterized esp by small pointed blades with blunt backs

Word History and Origins

Origin of Gravettian¹

1935–40; after la Gravette on the Dordogne, France; -ian

Word History and Origins

Origin of Gravettian¹

C20: from La Gravette on the Dordogne, France

Example Sentences

Genetic analysis of individuals from Italy after the last Ice Age shows the dark-skinned, dark-eyed Gravettian population was replaced by newcomers from the Balkans, who brought blue eyes and a touch of Near Eastern ancestry with them.

From Seattle Times

Using new genetic analysis of prehistoric human remains, scientists were able to trace the fate of the Gravettian culture, a term used to describe the people who once roamed Europe and produced distinctive tools and art such as the voluptuous ‘Venus’ figurines found at ancient sites across the continent.

From Seattle Times

About 33,000 years ago, as the climate turned cold, a new culture called the Gravettian arose across Europe.

From New York Times

Gravettian hunters made spears to kill woolly mammoths and other big game.

From New York Times

After they arrived, they lived for several thousand years sharing the Gravettian culture but remaining genetically distinct.

From New York Times