Solutrean

or So·lu·tri·an

[ suh-loo-tree-uhn ]

adjective

1. Archaeology. of or designating an Upper Paleolithic European culture c18,000–16,000 b.c., characterized by the making of stone projectile points and low-relief stone sculptures.

Solutrean

/ səˈluːtrɪən /

adjective

1. of or relating to an Upper Palaeolithic culture of Europe that was characterized by leaf-shaped flint blades

Solutrean

/ sə-lo̅o̅′trē-ən /

1. Relating to an Upper Paleolithic culture in southwestern Europe between the Aurignacian and Magdalenian cultures, dating from around 21,000 to 17,000 years ago. The short-lived Solutrean culture was characterized by finely crafted tools, such as slender, leaf-shaped blades and shouldered points, as well as ornaments, carvings, and cave paintings.

Word History and Origins

Origin of Solutrean¹

1885–90; < French solutréen, after Solutré the type-site, near a village of the same name in France (Saône-et-Loire); -an

Word History and Origins

Origin of Solutrean¹

C19: named after Solutré, village in central France where traces of this culture were originally found

Example Sentences

To argue for Europeans’ deep roots in the Americas, they have latched onto Vinland, a short-lived medieval Viking settlement in eastern Canada, and the “Solutrean hypothesis,” which argues that the Americas were first peopled by arrivals from Western Europe.

From Science Magazine

Neither claim started as pseudoarchaeology—Vinland was real, and the Solutrean hypothesis was proposed by mainstream archaeologists, then tested and ruled out—but they have been twisted for ideological ends.

From Science Magazine

Originally titled “Solutrean,” “Alpha” tells the story of a prehistoric boy who becomes lost from his tribe and forms a bond with an injured wolf.

From Los Angeles Times

The weapons being found along the Eastern Seaboard are in some ways also identical to ones made in Palaeolithic Spain and Southern France during the Solutrean industry.

From National Geographic

Indeed, although this particular iteration is new, the idea behind the Solutrean hypothesis is part of a long tradition of Europeans trying to insert themselves into American prehistory; justifying colonialism by claiming that Native Americans were not capable of creating the diverse and sophisticated material culture of the Americas.

From The Guardian