A separation: Caspian Mesolithic vs Trialetian lithic industry. A research on the excavated site of Komishan, southeast of the Caspian Sea, Iran

Abstract

Komishan Cave in the southeast of the Caspian Sea was selected for a small excavation in 2009 to address questions concerning the Mesolithic industries of the region. Two AMS dates present an age between 10,628 cal. BC and 11,771 cal. BC for the Mesolithic deposits. The chipped stone assemblage is characterised by large concentration of blade/ lets, notches/ denticulates, scrapers of all forms, especially end scrapers, borers, and backed pieces. This chipped stone assemblage is obviously most similar to those of Kamarband, Hotu and Alitepe regarding their locations, which are in the same climatic, geological and ecological conditions. The Mesolithic chipped stone industry of the southeast of the Caspian Sea has been previously attributed to Trialetian lithic industry. In this article the differences in raw material access, technological organization and the subsistence between these sites are discussed ; as a conclusion based on Human Ecology the Mesolithic of the east-southeast of the Caspian Sea should be separated from Trialetian Industry and presented as “ Caspian Mesolithic.”