Recent data on the initial Acheulian occupation of the South Caucasus in the Early Pleistocene

Abstract

Before the beginning of the present century there was only a single evidence of human occupation of the Caucasus in the Early Pleistocene. It was the Dmanisi site, Georgia (South Caucasus) (Figure 1) where deposits dated around 1.8 MYR contained a typical Oldowan industry (small core-choppers and flakes) in association with remains of early hominids [1-3]. Acheulian artifacts found in the region were collected primarily in the numerous surface occurrences and dominated by flat and carefully flaked handaxes indicating Late Acheulian age [4-6]. A majority of these localities were discovered in the volcanic uplands of the South Caucasus (Armenia, southern districts of Georgia) where typical Late Acheulian handaxes are accompanied by the Levallois products. Judging by both absolute dates and bio-stratigraphic data for few stratified sites (Azykh, Kudaro I и III, Cona, Nor Gekhi 1) the Late Acheulian industries existed in the different parts of the Caucasus in the interval around 600-300 KYR [7-10], i.e. in the Middle Pleistocene. Hence, all the research results suggested an enormous chronological break between the Oldowan and Acheulian occupations of the region [6]. However, there were also some reasons to doubt in so late appearance of the Acheulian tool-makers in the Caucasus in comparison with other regions. Today it is known that the earliest Acheulian industries in Africa originated in the East African rift zone just after 1.8 MYR [11-15]. These lithic industries with complicated technologies and diverse large tools (crude handaxes, pics, cleavers, choppers, large scrapers etc.) developed in conditions of semi-open volcanic landscape and on the base of local lava rocks.The first manifestation of the Early Acheulian in the Near East was revealed in the Ubeidiya site (Israel) dated to 1. 17] and located in the Syrian-Arabic, or Levantine rift zone continuing the East African rift system. The Early Pleistocene ecosystems within these areas were analogous and favorable for the Acheulian tool-makers [18]. Since the considered tectonic structures extend further to the south of the Caucasus on may expect to find there