Abbevillian

or Abbe·vill·e·an

[ ab-vil-ee-uh n, -vil-yuh n, ab-uh-vil- ]
/ æbˌvɪl i ən, -ˈvɪl yən, ˌæb əˈvɪl- /

adjective

of, relating to, or typical of an early Lower Paleolithic industry of the middle Pleistocene Epoch in Europe, characterized by the manufacture of large flakes and hand axes; Chellean.

Origin of Abbevillian

< French abbevillien (1932); see Abbeville, -ian

British Dictionary definitions for abbevillian

Abbevillian
/ (æbˈvɪlɪən, -jən) archaeol /

noun

the period represented by Lower Palaeolithic European sites containing the earliest hand axes, dating from the Mindel glaciation See also Acheulian

adjective

of or relating to this period

Word Origin for Abbevillian

C20: after Abbeville, where the stone tools were discovered

Scientific definitions for abbevillian

Abbevillian
[ ăb′ə-vĭl′ē-ən ]

Relating to the earliest Paleolithic archaeological sites in Europe, characterized by bifacial stone hand axes.