450,000 - 100,000 BCE
This was the period of Homo sapiens in Europe, an archaic type probably derived from Homo erectus of Africa. By around 200,000 years ago, Homo sapiens neanderthalensis had emerged. During the period people had begun to come together into bands of hunters, as evidenced by the camps typical of the later part of the period. Tools, however, did not advance significantly. They were made locally, as need required, and apparently rarely traveled with their makers. Hand-axes were most prevalent, followed by other tools necessary to prepare carcasses, such as scrapers and blades.
Located about 500 meters from Laugerie-Haute, and named for the farm upon which the site lies, La Micoque appears to have been primarily Acheulian, with occasional hints of the Mousterian in the upper layers.
