Short-term settlement of Middle Paleolithic hunters leaves a specific toolkit on an archaeological site. In spite of this well-known fact, in some cases, concerning the duration of stay of groups of Neanderthals, mere techno-typological analysis of lithic assemblages seems insufficient. Analysis of raw material exploitation, combined with information about long use, or reworking of certain artifacts appears to be helpful.

On most sites from the Middle Paleolithic, archaeological data concerning the raw material procurement shows that it generally had a local character. However, on a range of sites known from uplands of Hungary, Slovakia, and Poland, artifacts prepared of raw material transported from distant outcrops can be found. Such artifacts are usually reworked, showing traces of their long use and value for prehistoric people. It can be assumed that there exists a link between the settlement duration and the knowledge about the explored area, which can be observed in some lithic assemblages. Situation, where a large variability of regional raw material is represented on a site, can be treated as an indicator of stable settlement, while varied exotic raw materials’ presence documents an increase in group mobility.