Europe: the Outstanding Universal Value of a marginal area of the Palaeolithic world

Europe is a small continent, which extends at middle to high latitudes, well outside the tropics where primates, including most past hominins, evolved and currently live. Furthermore, it is located at the westernmost end of Asia, rather resembling a peninsular area of this huge continent. Notwithstanding the geographic handicaps and apparent marginality, Europe has a rich and complex Palaeolithic record, extending over one million years. It has also been investigated ever since the XIXth century, when was first started the scientific study of humankind’s remote past. We discuss below how it is that Europe has, again all odds, much to add to the understanding of human evolution, adaptations, dispersals and social developments. Three case studies are discussed: the earliest peopling of Europe and adaptation to extra-tropical environments; the late settlement of Anatomically Modern Humans; and the recolonisation of abandoned areas after the Late Glacial Maximum. The overall conclusions are that the rather extreme environmental and geographical characteristics of Europe fostered the development of technological and cognitive capabilities, also promoting changes in social organization within Pleistocene human groups, who had to adapt to an environment which was indeed rich in resources, but also quite demanding. The Palaeolithic record of Europe is as a yardstick allowing to gauge such developments. Accordingly, in this marginal part of the globe there is exceptional testimony of cultural traditions which have disappeared, illustration of significant stages in human history; outstanding examples of traditional human settlement. Those are all aspects of the human record that are fully highlighted by the criteria established in the World Heritage Convention.