Khvalynian Transgression and Dynamics of the Northwestern and Central Caucasus Cultures During the Transition from the Pleistocene to the Holocene

The study of the genesis of cultures dating to the Palaeolithic as well as adaptation methods of hunter-gatherers reflected in the traits of material culture is not possible without the reconstruction of natural environment. The Early Khvalynian transgression that occurred at the end of the Pleistocene is one of major (or even disastrous, as some scholars believe) events in the Caspian-Pontic region. This paper explores the impact made by the Manych Strait that separated the North Caucasus region from the southern areas of the Russian plain on changes over time and succession of archaeological cultures dating to the end of the Upper Palaeolithic of the northwestern and central Caucasus. The data of the technical and typological analysis of lithic industries and series of radiocarbon dates obtained were used to compare main stages of historical and environmental events. Despite the data incompleteness (fragmentation), several possible variants of the impact made by the Early Khvalynian transgression on development of the cultural situation at the end of the Upper Palaeolithic in the analyzed region were proposed. For example, the isolation of the northern regions due to a higher flow rate of water in the strait could trigger gradual disappearance of the populations of the Epigravettian tradition; or the presence of the Manych Strait could influence the boundaries of the region occupied by the Shankobian family of cultures.