Chronology and periodization of paleolithic complexes of South-Eastern Dagestan (based on the evidence from the Darvagchai-Zaliv-4 site)

The article presents the results of interdisciplinary research at the Darvagchai- Zaliv-4 site. Long-term excavations at the site have revealed archaeological evidence confirming the presence of three complexes of artifacts belonging to different periods. A preliminary chronological framework of stone industries has been proposed based on malacofaunal analysis and paleomagnetic studies. For establishing the exact age, absolute dating of all geological horizons of the site was carried out using the OSL method, yielding thirteen dates which make it possible to determine the age of cultural horizons at the site. The collection of artifacts from the first complex is distinguished by Levallois splitting technique and typical Middle Paleolithic toolkit; the artifacts were located in the paleosoil horizon (layer 1b). Chronologically, this horizon belongs to the Riess-Wurm (Eem, Mikulin) interglacial in the interval of125,000-110,000 BP (MIS 5e). Artifacts of another complex discovered in layer 3 (pebble-gravel deposits) belong to the Final Acheulean. Their age corresponds to the chronological range of 250,000-220,000 BP (MIS 7). The collection of stone objects from layer 5 (sea pebbles and sands) belongs to the Late Acheulean and testifies to the earliest appearance of ancient humans in that territory in 370,000-330,000 BP (MIS 11-10).