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This collection of papers arises from a meeting of distinguished scholars at Tautavel in 1993, sponsored by the European Science Fund. The aim of the meeting was to discuss and review the evidence for the earliest occupation of different European regions, from Scandinavia to the Mediterranean and from the United Kingdom to the Russian Plains and including neighbouring areas such as the Caucasus and Northern Africa. Discussion focused on four themes: chronology, environment, industries and subsistence. The central dispute between proponents of the Long chronology (placing the first hominids in Europe almost 2m years ago) and the supporters of a Short chronology (no hominids until 500,000 years ago) is covered in detail. The disputed 1.5m years are crucial to our understanding of how our earliest ancestors adapted to the European environment and this book will be crucial in furthering the debate. contents Luis Raposo and Manuel Santonja: The earliest occupation of Europe: the Iberian peninsula Margherita Mussi: The earliest occupation of Europe: Italy Andreas Darlas: The earliest occupation of Europe: the Balkans Nikolai D. Praslov: The earliest occupation of the Russian Plain: a short note Karel Valoch: The earliest occupation of Europe: Eastern Central and Southeastern Europe Dietrich Mania: The earliest occupation of Europe: the Elbe-Saale region (Germany) Gerhard Bosinski: The earliest occupation of Europe: Western Central Europe Jean-Paul Raynal, Lionel Magoga and Peter Bindon: Tephrofacts and the first human occupation of the French Massif Central Alain Tuffreau and Pierre Antoine: The earliest occupation of Europe: Continental Northwestern Europe Mark B. Roberts, Clive S. Gamble and David R. Bridgland: The earliest occupation of Europe: the British Isles Jorgen Holm and Lars Larsson: The earliest occupation of Europe: Scandinavia Vassilij P. Ljubin and Gerhard Bosinski: The earliest occupation of the Caucasus region Jean-Paul Raynal, Lionel Magoga, Fatima-Zohra Sbihi-Alaoui and Denis Geraads: The earliest occupation of Atlantic Morocco: the Casablanca evidence Gerhard Bosinski: Stone artefacts of the European Lower Palaeolithic: a short note Martin J. Aitken: Chronometric techniques for the Middle Pleistocene Clive S. Gamble: The earliest occupation of Europe: the environmental background Wil Roebroeks and Thijs van Kolfschoten: The earliest occupation of Europe: a reappraisal of artefactual and chronological evidence