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This volume is the first of a set of two with papers written on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the Institute of Prehistory, Leiden University. It contains the 14 contributions dealing with the early Middle Palaeolithic up to and including the Neolithic in Europe. Volume 26 contains the articles on later periods, non-European sites and remaining subjects. Contents: Corrie Bakels: Editorial Wil Roebroeks, Dimitri De Loecker, Paul Hennekens & Mirjam van Ieperen: "A veil of stones": on the interpretation of an early Middle Palaeolithic low density scatter at Maastricht-Belvédère (The Netherlands) C. Lemorini: Variabilité ou spécialisation fonctionnelle? Une révision du rapport entre forme et fonction au Moustérien P.J.R. Modderman: Linearbandkeramik aus Meindling, Gem. Oberschneiding, Ldkr. Straubing-Bogen Marjorie de Grooth: Chert procurement strategies in the LBK settlement of Meindling, Bavaria C.C. Bakels: Fruits and seeds from the Linearbandkeramik settlement at Meindling, Germany, with special reference to Papaver somniferum A.T. Clason: The Linearbandkeramik farmers of Meindling, their livestock and gamebag H.A. Groenendijk: Das Odbachtal im niederbayerischen Gauboden als Siedlungsraum im Alt-, Mittel- und beginnenden Jungneolithikum L.M.B. Verhart & M. Wansleeben: Do we have cremation graves of the Michelsberg culture in The Netherlands? M. Wansleeben& L.M.B. Verhart: The Meuse Valley Project: GIS and site location statistics A.R.T. Jonkers: Donk Dissection: spatial attribution through reprojection of Hazendonk Unit C M. Verbruggen: Geoarchaeological prospection of the Rommertsdonk José Schreurs: The Michelsberg site Maastricht-Klinkers: a functional interpretation Pieter van de Velde: Dust and ashes: the two Neolithic cemeteries of Elsloo and Niedermerz compared F. Brounen & P. Ploegaert: A Tale of the Unexpected: Neolithic shaft mines at Valkenburg aan de Geul (Limburg, the Netherlands)