The Mesolithic or Middle Stone Age(9000 – 5500 BC)

The last Ice Age glaciers of Central Europe retreated between 15,000 and 12,000 BC. The climate became increasingly warm. At the same time the forests spread to higher altitudes in the mountains. Ibexes and red deer advanced into the Alps. Humans followed their animal prey. Clans of huntsmen moved from the southern foothills of the Alps and populated the Central Alps. From the Mesolithic onwards these clans spent the entire year in the Alpine valleys. They lived from hunting, fishing and food gathering techniques. The families spent the winter in the low-lying valleys. In the summer they moved to the high mountains to hunt. For seasonal shelter they used rock overhangs, simple dugouts, and tents.