2022 geoarchaeological study at Khonako III site in Southern Tajikistan

The article discusses the results of excavations at the Khonako-III site in South Tajikistan carried out by the joint Russian-Tajik geoarcheological expedition. Previously, V.A. Ranov and J. Shefer studied the site in 1996-2000. In 2022, we studied the upper part of the 70 m outcrop, at the level of pedocomplexes (PC)1 and 2. During excavations, geological trench and archaeological pits covered a slope cut-in up to a depth of ~36 m, from the day surface to loess under PC-2, expanding at the level of pedocomplexes to an area of up to 9 sq. m. Within the studied section, 17 main sedimentary units were identified, including two developed pedocom plexes, both of which are represented by three well-defined paleosols. Field measurements of magnetic susceptibility (MS) of the deposits were carried out, which allowed clarifying the chronostratigraphic subdivision of the studied section. The structure of the section and the nature of the MS curve allow correlating PC-1 with MIS-5, and PC-2 with MIS-7. Twelve stone artifacts were found during excavations: 5 from PC-1, 2 from loess between PC-1 and PC-2, 2 from PC-2, and 1 from loess under PC-2. Allfinds are flakes ofvarious sizes. No feature variation dynamics depending on the depth was observed. We can conclude on the presence in the studied area of archeological materials both in the PC deposits and in the loessic layers located between them. One hundred and twenty samples for OSL were collected from all mentioned units for high-resolution dating and establishing the reliable chronology of the upper part of the Khonako III outcrop. The additional natural science data will allow a detailed reconstruction of landscape and climate dynamics in the Tajik depression during the development by ancient humans in the last 200 ka.