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Azilian

Azilian

1 9.9
A late stone-age culture in western Europe known for small stone tools and painted pebbles
  • noun
  • /əˈzɪliən/
  • Specialized
: cultura azilien
  • Archaeologists discovered painted pebbles typical of the Azilian in the cave.

Examples

  • The Azilian culture thrived during the late Paleolithic period.

  • The Azilian is recognized for its distinctive microlithic stone tools.

  • Artifacts from the Azilian period show a transition from earlier Paleolithic cultures.

  • Many Azilians created intricate cave paintings.

  • Archaeologists uncovered Azilian artifacts, including finely crafted stone tools and vividly painted pebbles.

  • The discovery of Azilian cultural remains in the region provided insights into the lives of late Paleolithic communities.

  • Many experts consider the Azilian culture to be a significant part of the prehistoric timeline in western Europe.

Surface Forms

Azilian singular
Azilians plural

Morphology

Azilian = Azil (semi-transparent) = Azil + ian

The formation is a regular place-name/adjectival/demonymal suffixation (-ian), but the place name 'Azil' is obscure, so knowing the base is necessary to fully derive the meaning.

Etymology

The word Azilian takes its name from the French cave Le Mas-d'Azil, where the culture's artifacts were first discovered, so Azilian refers to the archaeological culture known for small stone tools and painted pebbles.