A global view of behavioural records of the Middle Pleistocene (780-132 ka) across Africa and Eurasia is often characterized as a long state of stasis with a unified cultural tradition, punctuated occasionally by novel innovations. However, closer examination of regional records reveals variability in the chronology and nature of cultural repertoires and palaeoenvironments, including the origins of the Middle Palaeolithic. This diversity in material culture coexists with major evolutionary breakthroughs: enlargement of hominin cranial capacities, migration and admixtures of species, habitual use of fire, complexity in organisation of site-specific and regional scales, adoption of new modes of hunting, decisions made in raw material selection etc. We propose a round-table with a multi-scale approach focusing on chronological, behavioural, and environmental issues in the Middle Pleistocene. Building compatible local and regional datasets would enable re-formulating the current discourse. We also invite debate on modern archaeological nomenclatures influencing interpretations of this record.