Quick Facts
Biography
Marcel Otte (born October 5, 1948) is a professor of Prehistory at the Université de Liège, Belgium. He is a specialist in Religion, Arts, Sociobiology, and the Upper Palaeolithic times of Europe and Central Asia. In the book Speaking Australopithecus (written together with the philologist Francesco Benozzo) he confirms from the archaeological point of view Benozzo's hypothesys that human language appeared with Australopithecus, between 4 and 3 million years ago.
Otte is one of the leading advocates of the Paleolithic Continuity Theory which states that Indo-European languages originated in Europe and have existed there since the Paleolithic period. He first advocated that theory in work published in 1995.
He is particularly noted for supporting and nurturing women in the profession.
Written works
Marcel Otte has published a number of works in his career including:
- Étude Archéologique et Historique sur le Château Médièval de Saive Centre belge d'histoire rurale Liege 1973
- Les Pointes à Retouches Plates du Paléolithique Supérieur Initial de Belgique Centre Interdisciplinaire de Recherches Archéologiques Liege 1974
- La préhistoire à Travers les Collections du Musée Curtius de Liège Wahle Liege 1978 ISBN 2-87011-009-X
- Le Paléolithique Supérieur Ancien en Belgique Musées Royaux d'art et d'histoire Brussels 1979
- Le Gravettien en Europe Centrale De Tempel Brugge 1981
- Sondages à Marche-les-Dames : Grotte de la Princesse, 1976 with J.M. Degbomont, University of Liege 1981
- Les Fouilles de la place Saint-Lambert à Liège Le Centre Liège 1983
- Préhistoire des Religions Masson Paris 1993 2-225-84068-7
- Le Paléolithique Inférieur et Moyen en Europe A Colin Paris 1996 ISBN 2-200-01389-2
- La Grotte du Bois Laiterie : Recolonisation Magdalénienne de la Belgique with Lawrence Straus, University of Liege 1997
- La Préhistoire with Denis Vialou and Patrick Plumet De Boeck Université, Paris 1999 ISBN 2-8041-2837-7
- Approches du Comportement au Mousterien, British Archaeological Reports Oxford 2000 ISBN 1-84171-126-8
- Les Origines de la Pensée Sprimont Mardaga 2001 ISBN 2-87009-723-9
- La Protohistoire with Mireille David-Elbiali, Christiane Eluère and Jean-Pierre Mohen De Boeck Université Brussels 2002 ISBN 2-8041-3297-8
- Recherches sur le Paléolithique Supérieur J and E Hedges Oxford 2003 ISBN 1-84171-324-4