Middle Palaeolithic Sites Research Articles

Small cave bear (U. ex gr. savini-rossicus) as a game species of prehistoric man

Imanay Cave is located in the Southern Urals (53°02' N, 56°26' E), at 420 m.a.s.l. A 9.5 m2 trench was exca-vated in the grotto in the inner part of the cave to examine the sediments. The accretion thickness was 1.2 m. The taphocoenosis of the Imanay Cave is of the Pleistocene age and contains about 10,000 specimens of bone re-mains of large mammals. They mostly belong to small cave bear (U. ex gr. savini-rossicus), and the remaining bones — to species of the mammoth faunal complex (Lepus sp., Castor fiber, Marmota bobak, Canis lupus, Cuon alpinus, Vulpes vulpes, V. corsac, Meles sp., Gulo gulo, Martes sp., Mustela sp., Ursus kanivetz, U. arctos, U. thibetanus, Panthera ex gr. fossilis-spelaea, Mammuthus primigenius, Equus ferus, Coelodonta antiquitatis, Alces alces, Bison priscus, Saiga tatarica, Ovis ammon). In the layer with the bones, Middle Paleolithic stone artifacts were found, including several bifacial points. These tools have analogies in the Middle Paleolithic sites of the Caucasus region and Crimea. During excavations of the cave, the skull of a cave bear with artificial damage was found. The study of the artificial perforation on the skull was the purpose of the present paper. On the basis of dimensional and morphological features, it was established that the skull belongs to a small cave bear (U. ex gr. savini-rossicus). The skull was directly AMS radiocarbon dated to 34 940 ± 140 BP, IGANAMS-5652. Analysis of the growth layers in the teeth revealed that the animal died in winter at an age of 9-10 years. Trace evidence analysis showed, that the hole in the parietal region of the skull was made by a sharp bifacial flint point similar to the Middle Paleolithic points found in the cultural layer of the cave. The animal was killed during winter hiberna-tion, most probably by stabbing with a spear. This is the first direct evidence of human hunting of a small cave bear. With the abundance of cave bear bones, the skull with the hole in it is the only evidence of human impact on this animal. There are no bones with traces of butchering and harvesting of the bone marrow.

The charcoal assemblage from Nesher Ramla, Israel: A contribution to the paleo-environmental dataset from Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 5 in the Levant

This paper presents the results of the wood charcoal analyses from the Middle Paleolithic open-air site at Nesher Ramla, on the central coastal plain of Israel. The study focuses on the interpretation of the charcoals left by fires used by Middle Paleolithic hominins during early Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 5. Moreover, this study sheds light on the arboreal taxa present in the vegetation and environmental conditions in the southern Levant during the Middle Paleolithic. A small quantity of identifiable charcoals was retrieved from the 8-m-thick archaeological sequence of the site (Units II to VI). The largest charcoal assemblage was recovered from part of the sequence dated to MIS 5e. The results show the presence of deciduous Quercus sp. and Prunus. The presence of these taxa, together with other proxies from the multidisciplinary studies at Nesher Ramla, indicate an arboreal setting with relatively humid and mild climatic conditions in MIS 5e. Our results further suggest that wood was used as fuel at Nesher Ramla. Given the scarcity of Middle Paleolithic sites in the Levant that have yielded charcoal, this new data from Nesher Ramla constitutes an important contribution to the study of past environments and the exploitation of plant resources by human groups.

Identifying Heated Rocks Through Feldspar Luminescence Analysis (pIRIR290) and a Critical Evaluation of Macroscopic Assessment

Throughout (pre)history, non-flint rocks have been used to structure fireplaces, to retain heat, to boil liquids, and to cook food. Thus far, the identification of heated non-flint rocks in archaeological contexts largely depends on a visual (macroscopic) assessment using criteria thought to be diagnostic for thermal alteration. However, visual identification can be subject to observer bias, and some heat-induced traces can be quite difficult to distinguish from other types of weathering or discolouration. In this paper, we present feldspar luminescence analysis as an independent, objective way to identify heated non-flint rocks and to evaluate the results against the established visual macroscopic method for the identification of such pieces. This is done by submitting manuported rocks with and without inferred macroscopic characteristics of heating, originating from the Last Interglacial, Middle Palaeolithic site Neumark-Nord 2/2 (Germany), to feldspar luminescence analysis (pIRIR290). Results of the feldspar luminescence analysis are compared with the visual assessments. This proof of concept study demonstrates the potential of luminescence analyses as an independent, quantitative method for the identification of heated rocks—and their prehistoric applications like hot-stone cooking, specifically for cases where macroscopic assessment cannot provide reliable determinations.

The early Pre-Pottery Neolithic B site at Nesher-Ramla Quarry, Israel

Routine quarrying activity at the Nesher-Ramla Quarry, in the Judean Lowlands, Israel, has recently exposed a new Early Holocene archaeological site located in a small natural sinkhole, one of many dolines scattered in the area, dated to the Early Pre-Pottery Neolithic B (EPPNB). It is the first site of this period to be uncovered in the narrow strip of land between the Judean Mts. and the coastal plain. This site, dubbed NRQN, contains lithic artifacts, groundstone tools, shells and beads as well as botanical and faunal remains. Here we combine data from a series of studies on the site's stratigraphy and radiometric dating, paleoenvironment, sediments and material culture, with the aim of understanding the role of the site in the EPPNB sphere. Various human activities took place in or immediately adjacent to the sinkhole, predominantly domestic in nature, including stone-tool making and food consumption. However, some of the sediments deep within the sinkhole underwent intense in situ combustion, possibly associated with episodes of lime-plaster production. The filling of the sinkhole appears to have occurred rapidly, not exceeding a few hundred years (ca. 10,500–10,300 cal. BP) and was driven by both geogenic and anthropogenic sedimentation processes. Good preservation of microvertebrate, macrovertebrae, short-lived plants and wood remains at the site, provides a unique opportunity to study the environmental characteristics of this geographical area during the Early Holocene, which appears to have been of an open grassy landscape with patchy Mediterranean forest, resembling the current environmental conditions. Studying the characteristics of Early Holocene human activity at the site, its paleoenvironment, and the site formation mechanisms, also provides useful comparisons with the nearby NRQ Middle Paleolithic site (this issue).

Tool wielding and activities at the Middle Paleolithic site of Nesher Ramla, Israel: A use-wear analysis of major tool types from unit III

This paper communicates the results of a detailed use-wear analysis of flint tools from Unit III of Nesher Ramla, central Israel, an open-air Middle Paleolithic site, dated to Marine Isotope Stage 5. The analyzed sample consists of 966 artifacts that represent major techno-typological categories; scrapers, tools with a lateral tranchet blow, naturally backed knives and other Middle Paleolithic artifact types. Most tools were associated with bone working activities, mainly scraping and cutting, suggesting both consumption and non-consumption-related practices. Results also suggest extensive butchering activities, but other applications are less common, especially the underrepresentation of armature, and plant and hide working is noteworthy. All in all, these patterns suggest a narrow range of activities. Most tools were used by their sharp edge, while the retouched edges bore weak use-related patterns. It is assumed that in some cases, the retouch served to facilitate the grip. The most widely used tools in Nesher Ramla were the naturally backed knives that according to technological studies were one of the goals of knapping at Nesher Ramla. Tools with a lateral tranchet blow, representing a cultural marker of the Nesher Ramla inhabitants, show evidence of multiple use of both retouched and non-retouched edges shaped by the lateral blow. Hafting traces are relatively rare in the analyzed sample.

The distribution and treatment of fire remains across Unit V of the Middle Paleolithic open-air site of Nesher Ramla, Israel

While abundant evidence for the use of fire has been identified for the Paleolithic period in the Levant, little evidence has come from open-air sites. This scarcity has brought into question the preservation potential of fragile fire remains at this type of site, which is normally exposed to wind deflation and fluvial erosion, and whether or not fire was used at all. A recently discovered site inside a karstic sinkhole at Nesher Ramla, Israel shows promise of filling this knowledge gap. With abundant evidence for well-preserved human activities, including the preservation of combustion features, this Middle Paleolithic site provides a glimpse into the use of fire at open-air sites. This study aims to provide a clearer picture of the spatial distribution of fire residues across the richest unit at Nesher Ramla, Unit V, and to identify possible behaviors associated with the use of fire. The presence of burned bones and ash pseudomorphs across this unit shows that fire activities were indeed prevalent at the site. However, the relatively low concentrations of ash pseudomorphs require an explanation. Two options are discussed: a short-term occupation (hours to a few days) or the partial preservation of the ash pseudomorphs. The presence of these fire remains in nearly every sample, with slightly higher concentrations coming from the eastern part of the unit, suggests more intensive occupation and their reworking across the site, potentially unintentionally by trampling or intentionally by sweeping and depositing the ash in a specified dump area. In addition to supporting previous research suggesting intensive occupation (e.g. via artifact densities) associated with combustion remains at Unit V of Nesher Ramla, the results of this study further shed light on behaviors associated with the treatment of fire remains and partitioned use of space at open-air sites.

Поиски памятников палеолита на левом берегу Среднего Днестра в 2016 году

The article presents the results of 2016 reconnaissance works of the Prut-Dniester Expedition of the Institute for the History of Material Culture of the Russian Academy of Sciences on the left bank of the Middle Dniester. The works were aimed at searching for and monitiring Palaeolithic localirties, with particular attention given to stratified sites. A stratified site named Kamenka 7 with Upper Palaeolithic assemblage was discovered near the village Solnechny (Kamensky district). In addition, the team monitored the condition of the stratified Middle Paleolithic site in the grotto of Vikhvatintsy (Vykhvatintsy village, Rybnitsa district). As a result, a previously unknown part of the site with a Middle Paleolithic cultural layer was discovered.

Five Middle Palaeolithic occupations from the Early Weichselian glacial: the Soindres deposit (Yvelines). Stratigraphy and lithic industries.

Abstract. The excavation of the Middle Palaeolithic site of Soindres has made possible to observe an exceptionally dilated pedosedimentary sequence, related to the last glaciation. Five levels of Palaeolithic occupation in situ (A, B, C, D, F) have been distinguished in stratigraphy. A sixth is in a reworked position. They were contained in the deposits of the beginning of the last glaciation (Early Weichselian) and are contemporaneous with the isotopic stages 5c to 5a. These lithic industries have similar technical characteristics. Debitage is oriented towards the production of points, blades and flakes. The association of these three « chaînes opératoires » is one of the specific features of the Early Weichselian industries in northern Europe, grouped together under the name of “Technocomplexe du Nord-Ouest”. This cultural current extends from the Seine to the Rhine during the Early Weichselian, during 40,000 years.

Components of a Neanderthal gut microbiome recovered from fecal sediments from El Salt

A comprehensive view of our evolutionary history cannot ignore the ancestral features of our gut microbiota. To provide some glimpse into the past, we searched for human gut microbiome components in ancient DNA from 14 archeological sediments spanning four stratigraphic units of El Salt Middle Paleolithic site (Spain), including layers of unit X, which has yielded well-preserved Neanderthal occupation deposits dating around 50 kya. According to our findings, bacterial genera belonging to families known to be part of the modern human gut microbiome are abundantly represented only across unit X samples, showing that well-known beneficial gut commensals, such as Blautia, Dorea, Roseburia, Ruminococcus, Faecalibacterium and Bifidobacterium already populated the intestinal microbiome of Homo since as far back as the last common ancestor between humans and Neanderthals.

Early evidence for symbolic behavior in the Levantine Middle Paleolithic: A 120 ka old engraved aurochs bone shaft from the open-air site of Nesher Ramla, Israel

During the Middle Paleolithic in Eurasia, the production of deliberate, abstract engraving on bone or stone materials is a rare phenomenon. It is now widely accepted that both anatomically modern humans and hominins that predate them have produced deliberate engravings associated with symbolic behavior. Within the Levantine Middle Paleolithic context, only five examples of intentional engravings are known thus far. In this paper, we present an aurochs bone fragment that bears six deep, sub-parallel incisions, recovered at the open-air Middle Paleolithic site of Nesher Ramla in Israel. The item, found in an anthropogenic accumulation of artifacts in Unit III of the site, was dated to early Marine Isotope Stage 5 (ca. 120 ka). Unit III is a stratigraphically well-defined layer that is characterized by intense on-site knapping activities with predominance of the centripetal Levallois reduction method and by intense exploitation of aurochs and tortoises. This paper presents a multidisciplinary study of the bone and the incisions, including zooarchaeological, macro- and microscopic analyses, Scanning Electron Microscope analysis and experimental replications. The macroscopic and microscopic attributes of the incisions, and the comparisons with experimental material exclude a taphonomic or utilitarian origin of the incisions. The study indicates that the engravings were most likely produced by a right-handed individual in a single working session. The morphology and characteristics of the incisions, especially the presence of longitudinal polish and striations in one of the incisions, suggest that they were made by a flint artifact, likely retouched. The engraved bone from Unit III at Nesher Ramla is one of the oldest deliberate abstract manifestations produced by Middle Paleolithic and Middle Stone Age hominins and the oldest known so far in the Levant. As such, it has major implications for our understanding of the emergence and early stages of the development of human symbolic behavior.

Expedient behaviour and predetermination at the Ciota Ciara cave (north-western Italy) during Middle Palaeolithic

The Ciota Ciara cave is a Middle Palaeolithic site located in Piedmont (north-western Italy) and it is the only one systematically investigated in the region. It opens at 670 m a.s.l. on the west side of Monte Fenera and its archaeological deposit has a stratigraphic sequence documenting several and repeated human frequentations. Four archaeological layers have been identified (103, 13, 14 and 15) and are characterized by lithic assemblages where vein quartz is the main exploited raw material. The upper level (13) was already subject to technological and functional studies, but the enlargement of the excavated area made necessary a completion of the technological data.The aim of this work is to deal with a complete technological and functional study of the lithic assemblage of the four archaeological layers of the Ciota Ciara cave to face the issues of predetermination and adaptation of the reduction sequences to the raw materials features.The technological analysis is based on the concept of chaîne opératoire and refers to the classical definitions of the S.S.D.A., discoid and Levallois methods for the identification of the different exploitation strategies. The concepts of curated and expedient technology are also applied to the present study. We finally refer to the huge debate concerning the concept of predetermination related to cores that show reduced or none phases of core configuration for the analysis and interpretation of the considered lithic assemblage.The results obtained show that the general behaviour can be interpreted as expedient, both from a technological and a functional point of view. The Middle Palaeolithic hunter-gatherers of the Ciota Ciara cave adapted their “technological background” to the resources available and put into action flexible adaptation strategies. Even in the shortness or absence of phases of core configuration, predetermination can be observed in the adaptation of Levallois and discoid concepts to the natural constraints of the pebbles chosen as cores. The natural convexities are exploited to obtain Levallois and discoid flakes after an intentional choice made by the knappers. In order to deeply investigate the characteristics of the technological behaviour of the hunter-gatherers that inhabited the site, the use-wear analysis is a fundamental additional source of information and it is here aimed to understand if there is or not a differential use of the lithic artefacts according to their typology and/or to the knapping method.

Ранний этап среднего палеолита Северо-Восточного Кавказа (по материалам стоянки Дарвагчай-Залив-1)

This study analyzes the lithic assemblages from the Middle Paleolithic site Darvagchay-Zaliv-1, which are highly relevant for understanding this stage in Northeastern Caucasus. Paleoclimatic conditions prevailing during sedimentation at this site are described. The lithic objects discovered have been compared with industries from the synchronous sites of Dagestan and Caucasus. The artifacts were found in minimally disturbed paleosol (layer 3); they represent the typical Middle Paleolithic toolkit, and Levallois technique of primary reduction. Judging by the presence of fire pits without additional structures and scattering of finds over a large area, these sites reveal multiple short-term stays. The dates of the sites, obtained using paleomagnetic and OSL methods correspond to the Riss-Wurm (Eemian, Mikulino) interstadial (MIS 5e) of ca. 100-120 ka BP. Whereas no direct parallels with any Caucasian Middle Paleolithic industries can be found, the industries from Darvagchay-Zaliv-1 are consistent with the general evolutionary path of the Paleolithic in the Caucasus.

Исследования нового среднепалеолитического памятника на Алтае – пещеры Козья в 2021 году

Studies of a new Middle Paleolithic site in Altai, the Kozya Cave, had been conducted by the team of researchers from IAET SB RAS in 2021. The site was discovered in the course of archaeological survey in 2020. The cave is located in the northwestern Altai, in the Charyshski District of Altai Region. The excavation trench of 3 m2 revealed four stratigraphic units, three of which were attributed to the Pleistocene. Archaeological material was found in layers 2-3.2. Layer 2 contained a truncated-faceted tool. The assemblage of layer 3 consists of 8 artifacts, half of which have been defined as tools. The cultural marker is a fragment of the Levallois point from layer 3.1 with convergent scars on the dorsal surface and a convex faceted striking platform. The zooarchaeological analysis of the paleofaunal collection from layers 3.1 and 3.2 showed that the accumulation of faunal remains in the cave resulted mainly from activity of predators periodically using it as a den. At the same time, finds of bones with traces of premeditated splitting indicate that ancient people also visited the Kozya (Goat) Cave and participated in the accumulation of bone remains. Analysis of the faunal collection of small mammals showed that the deposition took place in open spaces. The inhabitants of taiga and shrub biotopes are few in the fossil fauna. The data of 2021 field season allowed us to clarify the age of the cave deposits formation. The morphology of lithic artifacts and the faunal material as well as the infinite date of layer 3.2 (>55000 (GV3067)) suggest attribution of the archaeological complex of Kozya layer 3 to the Middle Paleolithic. The culture marking artifacts tentatively indicates that this complex belongs to the Denisova trend of the Altai Middle Paleolithic.

Исследование следов на костяных ретушерах из Чагырской пещеры с использованием профилометра

Bone retouchers were used by ancient humans in stone tool working. They were made mainly of the bones of prey animals. Retouchers are most characteristic of the Neanderalian bone tool collections, but they are also found in other cultural and chronological contexts at all stages of the Stone Age in Eurasia and beyond. Research on bone retouchers has been carried out for over a century using many different methods. Use-wear signs on bone retouchers are usually studied through a microscope with a magnification of up to x50 and are classified according to morphological characteristics. Most often the size of retouchers and their working zones are measured, but not the size of a single sign. Today, there are several classifications of use-wear traces on bone retouchers identifying from two to four types of marks. This paper presents the results of a morphometric study of the most widespread and recognized by most researchers category of marks on retouchers -short linear impressions with a V-shaped or trapezoidal profile using high-precision three-dimensional modeling methods. A high-precision three-dimensional structured light scanner and a three-dimensional surface profilometer were used to analyze traces on the surface of retouchers at the micro level. We measured the length, width, depth and angles of single, non-overlapping traces on the working areas of retouchers from the Chagyrskaya Cave. As a result, the average size of such traces with various exhaustion rates and their inclination angle in the cross-section view were determined. The dimensions of the marks on retouchers of Chagyrskaya Cave were compared with those on retouchers from other Middle Paleolithic sites previously published by other researchers.

Каменные индустрии ранних этапов среднего палеолита стоянки Дарвагчай-Залив-4 (исследования 2021 года)

The territory of Primorsky Dagestan is one of the places on the Eurasian continent, where a constant and massive presence of Neanderthal populations in antiquity was noted. In particular, this is evidenced by a large number of Middle Paleolithic sites in a relatively small territory of the Darvagchay geoarchaeological region (Southeastern Dagestan), discovered and studied in the last decade. This article is devoted to the results of the latest studies of the Middle Paleolithic complexes of the Darvagchay-Zaliv-4 site, the materials of which belong to the early stages of the Middle Paleolithic and significantly supplement the evidence material of this cultural-chronological period in the territory of the North-Eastern Caucasus. In the field season of 2021, two sets of artifacts related to different stages of the Middle Paleolithic were discovered at the site. The age of the geological horizons, where they were discovered, was previously based on the results of absolute dating by OSL. The stone industry of the first complex is characterized by the Levallois technique and a typical Middle Paleolithic toolkit; artifacts were located in horizon 1c. Chronologically, the time of its existence is determined by the period of the Riess-Wurm (Eem, Mikulino) interglacial, in the range of 120-110 ka BP (MIS 5e). Artifacts of another complex, discovered at the site for the first time, were found in the middle part of Layer 2 (light loam, loess). Aeolian-deluvial processes played a leading role in sedimentation here. The technical and typological characteristics of a small collection of stone products make it possible to attribute it to the earliest stages of the Middle Paleolithic. The age of the culture-bearing horizon was based on a series of the OSL dates in the range of 200-180 ka BP (MIS 8).

Геоархеологические исследования на среднепалеолитическом памятнике Сухая Мечётка в 2021 году

In 2021, the Lower Volga Paleolithic research team of the IAET SB RAS, participating in the Interdisciplinary Lower Volga Expedition organized by the IIMK RAS, the study of the Sukhaya Mechetka Middle Paleolithic site located in the northern outskirts ofVolgograd City was continued. The research was aimed at studying the chronostratigraphic position of the cultural layer and reconstructing the paleoclimate during the Neanderthal habitation period. In 2021, an additional geological section was established to the west of the buffer zone of the excavation area to study the stratigraphy of the right-side slope of the Sukhaya Mechetka gully. In 2021 the upper part of SM 14-18 (SМ East) stratigraphic sequence has been completely excavated (26 m thick). The new SM West stratigraphic sequence was established in 155 m westwards. Preliminary correlation of the layers and paleosol horizons in these two profiles was carried out. Samples for palynological, micromorphological, physicochemical and phytholithic analyses with the purpose to correlate the two sequences have been collected. Sediments were sampled for OSL dating. Studies of the buried paleosol are extremely important for understanding the dynamics of the climatic changes during the cultural layer accumulation at Sukhaya Mechetka. Pedogenetic levels that have been revealed in 2021 are comparable to the buried paleosol identified at the site earlier in depths, continuity and features of pedogenesis. Texturally graded buried paleosol described here for the first time for the SM West sequence expand our understanding of the soil spatial inhomogeneity, and, consequently, conditions of human habitation. Results of the ongoing field investigation will allow determining the cultural-chronological position of Sukhaya Mechetka in the context of the Eastern and Central European Middle Paleolithic complexes for the first time.

История изучения пигментов периода палеолита (материалы, методы, концепции)

The paper presents an overview and assessment degree of various aspects of research and the use of dyes from archaeological complexes of the Middle and Upper Paleolithic in Africa, Europe, and North Asia. The key aspects of research have been identified: resource sources of raw materials, paint manufacturing technology, their use, and probable purpose. The regional features of the research are highlighted. Pigments from the collections of Africa’s sites are being studied comprehensively, with the consideration of the tool complex of the Middle Paleolithic sites. The studies of European Paleolithic pigments are primarily considered from the point of view of evidence of their use in symbolic activity, in the framework of a discussion about the emergence of symbolic behavior. Modern research on the territory of Eastern Europe and North Asia is focused on the study of the stability of pigments as an element of culture, pigment manufacturing technology based on the study of the structure and chemical composition of paints. Keywords: history of study, pigments, Middle Paleolithic, Upper Paleolithic, ochre, sign behavior Acknowledgements: This work was financially supported by the Russian Science Foundation (No. 18–78–10079 “Development of Technologies and an Information System for Documenting and Scientific Exchange of Archaeological Data”).

Novi rezultati datiranja Vindije, Velike pećine (Kličevica) i Mujine pećine U-Th metodom i njihova implikacija za kronologiju srednjeg paleolitika u Hrvatskoj

This paper reports new results obtained by Uranium-Thorium (U-Th) dating of animal bones, tooth and flowstone samples from three Croatian Middle Paleolithic sites. Dates were obtained on bones and teeth from Vindija (Hrvatsko zagorje) and flowstones from Velika pećina in Kličevica and Mujina pećina (both in Dalmatia). Obtained results support the previously established chronology of the Middle Paleolithic of Croatia by confirming that the oldest layers of Vindija belong to MIS 6 and that Velika pećina in Kličevica was visited by Neandertals after 40 ka BP.

Early Middle Paleolithic Industries in Southeastern Dagestan

This study addresses lithic assemblages from the Middle Paleolithic sites Darvagchay-Zaliv-1 and Darvagchay-Zaliv-4, which are highly relevant to the understanding of this stage in Dagestan. We examine paleoclimatic conditions prevailing during the sedimentation at these sites. A detailed description of lithics is provided. Artifacts were discovered in a minimally disturbed paleosol. They represent the Middle Paleolithic, specifi cally Levallois technique of primary reduction. Judging by the presence of unlined fi re-pits and the fact that fi nds are scattered over a large area, we infer that these sites evidence multiple short-term occupation. The dates of the sites fall within the Riss-Wurm (Eemian, Mikulino) interstadial (MIS 5e)—ca 125-110 ka BP. Parallels with coeval sites in Dagestan and elsewhere in the Caucasus are discussed. Whereas no direct parallels with any Caucasian Middle Paleolithic industries can be found, those of Darvagchay-Zaliv-1 and Darvagchay-Zaliv-4 are consistent with the general evolutionary trajectory of the Caucasian Paleolithic.

Нові дані про вік середньопалеолітичної пам'ятки Пронятин (Подільська височина)

The Middle Palaeolithic site Proniatyn is geomorphologically located on the near-watershed slope of the right bank of the Seret River. The history of its archaeological research began in 1977. During numerous expedition seasons of works conducted with using of methods of natural sciences and archaeology (until 2015), rich flint material was found on the site, which was located in the deposits of the over-Horokhiv deluvial solifluction stratum, i.e. not in situ, but was moved down the slope. The upper chronological limit of the cultural horizon was determined as 85±7 ka (according to V. Shovkoplias) by TL-dating of the Upper Pleistocene loess, which overlaps the over-Horokhiv deluvial solifluction stratum. In 2015, the Proniatyn site became the subject of scientific excursion of the international loess seminar «Loesses and Palaeolithic of Podillia». To clarify the age of the site, survey pit 5, located directly next to the main excavation, in the southern part of the site was expanded and deepened. The main goal of the work was to search for artifacts in the Horokhiv fossil pedocomplex (MIS 5), which is only slightly disturbed by deluvial-solifluctional processes. Two artifacts were found in the eluvial horizon of this complex, the third one was found in its humus horizon. Detailed analysis of the finds shows that the additional flint artifacts discovered in 2015 do not contradict the conclusion that technical, morphological and typological features of these three flints are completely identical to several thousand previously excavated flints from this site and represent the flake-blade Levallois industry. In general, all discovered artifacts from Proniatyn form a single monocultural complex of the site. Based on research conducted in 2015 is clearly established that the age of Proniatyn cultural horizon does not correspond to the age of deluvial-solifluctional strata, as previously thought, but is older than it. It is associated with the eluvial horizon of the Horokhiv fossil soil complex, the age of which is estimated at 112,0±11,2 ka and 106,7±11 ka according to TL-dating (the Palaeolithic site Yezupil I), 110±18 ka according to TL-dating and 102±16 ka according to OSL-dating (Palaeolithic site Mariampil I). Key words: Middle Palaeolithic, artifact, Mousterian, loess-palaeosol sequence, deluvial-solifluctional processes, Podillia.