Eighteen essays from the 15th uispp congress which look at the iconography and symbolism of prehistoric art, focusing in the main on rock art. Papers include reports on new discoveries, such as some schematic Neolithic and Chalcothic engravingson the Ibor River in Spain, on particular symbols, such as Neolithic cruciform designs, and broader theoretical papers on issues such as the interplay between art and shamanism or the use of new techniques such as optical 3D measurements in the interpretation of rock art. Papers in English, Spanish and French.

Papers from the session Iran Palaeolithic presented at the XV UISPP World Congress, September 2006. Contents: 1) The Middle Palaeolithic occupation of Mar-Tarik, a new Zagros Mousterian site in Bisotun massif (Kermanshah, Iran) (J. Jaubert et al.); 2) Test Excavations at the Middle Paleolithic Sites of Qaleh Bozi, Southwest of Central Iran. A Preliminary Report (Fereidoun Biglari et al.); 3) Whither the Aurignacian in the Middle East? Assessing the Zagros Upper Paleolithic (Deborah I. Olszewski); 4) A Typo-technological Study of an Upper Paleolithic Collection from Sefid-Ab, Central Iran (Sonia Shidrang); 5) Origines du Paleolithique superieur en Asie occidentale (Marcel Otte, Janusz K. Kozlowski); 6) The Upper Paleolithic faunal remains from Yafteh cave (central Zagros), 2005 campaign. A preliminary study (Marjane Mashkour et al.); 7) La sequence baradostienne de Yafteh (Khorramabad, Lorestan, Iran) (Jean-Guillaume Bordes, Sonia Shidrang); 8) Late Pleistocene Prehistory in Central Alborz: Preliminary Results of the French and Iranian Palaeoanthropological Programme 2006 on the excavation of Garm Roud 2 (Amol, Mazandaran) (Gilles Berillon et al.) 9) Iranian Paleolithic sites on Travertine and Tufa Formations (Saman Heydari, Elham Ghasidian, Nicholas J. Conard); 10) Late Palaeolithic cultural traditions in the Basht region of the Southwestern Zagros of Iran (Elham Ghasidian et al.); 11) The Open-air Late Paleolithic site of Bardia and the Paleolithic Occupation of the Qaleh Gusheh Sand Dunes, Esfahan Province, Iran (Nicholas J. Conard, Elham Ghasidian, Saman Heydari).

The long Palaeolithic sequence of Karain (Antalya, Turkey) began around 500,000 years ago and continued until the final Palaeolithic around 10,000 BC. This volume presents all the cultural and technical variations during this immense period, situated in a context which joins Africa, Asia, and Europe. In brief, the assemblage of tools appears to belong to Asian traditions; no Acheulian bifaces were observed. The earlier half of the sequence (stages 9 and 10) corresponds to centripetal industries with thick flakes and with denticulates and racloirs, classified as 'Proto-Charentian'. 'Modern archaic' human remains were sporadically discovered there. The upper phase is by far the most important: stages 8 to 5. These are superb Levallois industries with good quality exogenous materials. The tools are made from elongated flakes and transformed into racloirs with very elegant points. They have been termed 'Karain Mousterian'. Human remains are also associated with this phase (mandible and phalanges). The final phase (stage 4) is classically Mousterian with Neanderthal human remains.

A collection of almost forty previously published papers, in French and English, discussing recent research on the Upper Palaeolithic. The papers are losely chronological, discussing the Middle to Upper Palaeolithic transition, the Final Palaeolithic and presenting case studies from Europe, as well as from Anatolia, the Crimea and Georgia, and relations between areas of Europe and beyond. Abstracts in English.

A wide-ranging study on theories and research of the Mousterian in Europe written by Marcel Otte, and a series of regional studies written in collaboration with other specialists in the field. Includes general essays on theories, research techniques, Palaeolithic material culture, subsistence, man and his lifestyle; regional studies focus in particular on Kazakhstan, Siberia, Turkey and Belgium. One English paper, others in French.