The Palaeolithic hypothesis for Indo European
Channel: European Association of Archaeologists
Date: 09/11/2018

A central claim of the now so–called Palaeolithic Continuity Theory or Paleolithic Continuity Paradigm is that most or possibly all major linguistic groups (Afro–Asiatic, Amerind, Australian, Khoisan, Niger–Kordofanian, Nilo–Saharan, Uralic…) already existed in the Upper Palaeolithic. Although this is a date far beyond the traditional horizon of Indo–European studies, through independent and convergent research the new paradigm has been collecting many arguments to support the hypothesis of a Palaeolithic time slot and consequently a hunter–gatherer culture for Proto–Indo–European too. On the contrary, although the prehistoric Urnfield Culture has traditionally been linked to Indo–European people, there are good reasons to believe that it would better be attributed, at least partially, to non–Indo–European speakers (Basques, Etrurians, Iberians).

Author: Professor Ballester, Xaverio - Universidad de Valencia (Presenting author)