"Oldowan" in the northern Caucasus – archaeology from the seabed or just geology

Abstract

The authors discuss the geoarchaeological data indicating that the Oldowan-age assemblages, which are reported during the last years on the Taman peninsula, in the north-western Caucasus, and in Dagestan, in the north-eastern Caucasus, are found in the marine coast environment near the contact with the sea basin, with evidence for the presence of shallow water (in Muhkai II and other localities in Dagestan) or wave activity (in Kermek and other localities on Taman). The marine environment is not reported in any Early Pleistocene archaeological site in either Europe or south-western Asia, or Africa. Moreover, the geological contexts identified in the Early Pleistocene localities in the northern Caucasus correspond to typical conditions for the formation of eoliths or geofacts. The combined archaeological and geoarchaeological indicators strongly suggest that these North Caucasian assemblages most likely represent collections of naturally broken stones that were selected by researchers among fragments of the same rock that is present naturally in these areas.