The archaeological record of the Gravettian open air site Krems-Wachtberg.

Since 2005, annual excavation campaigns have been conducted at the open air site of Krems-Wachtberg in eastern Austria. This paper provides an overview of the preliminary archaeological results, including a presentation of the site's Upper Palaeolithic features and find inventories, as well as a discussion of its position within the Gravettian of the Middle Danube region. The site is characterized by a well-developed occupation layer with associated features like hearths and burials. From a local perspective, the station is part of an extensive Gravettian settlement cluster on the Wachtberg promontory. Beyond that, more far-ranging connections can be established to sites of the older Gravettian forming the regional group of the Pavlovian. These analogies apply to topographic position and economic factors, as well as to technological and typological criteria of the lithic inventories. Furthermore, parallels in burial rituals and art are evident. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]