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Which human group is most closely associated with the Mousterian industry?
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Paleolithic Period
The Venus of Willendorf, a Upper Paleolithic limestone figurine originally colored with red ochre, 30,000–25,000 bce, found at Willendorf, Lower Austria; in the Natural History Museum, Vienna.
The Mousterian industry is traditionally and most closely associated with Neanderthal populations in Europe, western Asia, and northern Africa.31
While the industry is primarily linked to Neanderthals, archaeological evidence indicates that it was also utilized by some of the earliest modern humans at sites such as Skhūl and Qafzeh in Israel. The Mousterian tool kit, characterized by the Levallois flaking technique, included specialized implements such as side scrapers, triangular points, and denticulate tools, reflecting a sophisticated level of technological development and cognitive function.234