Lithic assemblage from the Neolithic layers at the Dam-Dam-Cheshme-2 site (the evidence of excavations by A.P. Okladnikov)

The grotto of Dam-Dam-Cheshme-2 is one of the key multilayered sites in the Eastern Caspian Sea region. This site was discovered in 1947 by A.P. Okladnikov who studied it for several years. In the 1960s, research was continued by G.E. Markov. Archaeological evidence from the lower layers of the site belongs to the Mesolithic and from the upper layers - to the Neolithic. The evidence obtained by A.P. Okladnikov's has not yet been fully published. This article presents the results of technical and typological analysis of the Neolithic complexes from the site (layers 3-2). Its Mesolithic complexes have been already published by our team. The attributive analysis of the cores and flakes has revealed small-blade production technique using soft hammer percussion. The toolkit of these complexes includes microliths of trapezoid and occasionally triangle shapes, end-scrapers, notched tools, points, truncated blades, and retouchedflakes. For establishing the genesis of these industries, the evidence was compared with the Mesolithic materials from the Dam-Dam-Cheshme-2 site. The same percussion technique and similarity of the toolkits make it possible to suggest the local genesis for the Neolithic complexes from the Eastern Caspian Sea region. This industry demonstrates important similarities with other Neolithic assemblages of the region, suggesting the date between ca. 9000-6000 BP.