Bifacial scraper-knives in the Micoquian sites in the North-Western Caucasus: Typology, technology, and reduction

Abstract

Abstract In the Northwestern Caucasus, there are 12 sites that contain in total about 27 occupational layers with Micoquian lithic assemblages, dated from late MIS 5/MIS 4 thought MIS 3. During the long time period, local Neanderthals preserved the tradition of manufacturing bifacial backed scraper-knives that are found in different site types, including flint-knapping camp-workshops, short-term camps, and long-term and intensively occupied campsites. We present the study of bifacial scraper-knives in the Micoquian sites in the Northwestern Caucasus, which has been divided into two stages – a morpho-metrical analysis, followed by the interpretation of factors that could influence forms of these tools, including technology, reduction, function, raw material used, and functional types of occupations.