The Oxford Handbook of Mesolithic Europe

Research into the Mesolithic has recently undergone important transformations, making it one of the most dynamic fields of archaeological research today. These changes are the result of a combination of factors: new and exciting discoveries, the impact of innovative scientific methods, and the introduction of fresh interpretative approaches. Situated within a long period defined by significant environmental, demographic, and social change, the European Mesolithic period provides key insights to answer the "big questions" in archaeology, including the deep history of migration, diversity, and adaptation. It also provides resources for elucidating answers to complex questions about human relationships, diet, economy, and identity. New theoretical approaches to the Mesolithic in Europe have expanded research into new areas such as lived experience, ritual, cosmology, art, identity, the body, and human-animal relationships. These new research questions have added important nuance, and prov