Finds of fresh-water mollusks shells from the upper paleolithic occupation layer in Dvoynaya cave (the Northwestern Caucasus)

The paper examines the collection of perforated shells of fresh-water mol-lusks found in the Upper Paleolithic occupation layer in Dvoynaya Cave (the northwestern Caucasus). It provides characteristics of mollusk species, describes their morphological traits and reconstructs methods of perforation. The tracewear analysis evidences that, in addition to perforations made by humans, the shells bear traces of biotic drilling, supposedly, left by an unknown predator as well as biting marks of unidentified origin. Evidence of drilling predation found on the shells of freshwater mollusks is not ample and well-studied. The nature of wear traces on the shell surface makes it possible to reconstruct their use as beads of a necklace, a bracelet or tubular beads used as elements of clothes decorative design.