New data on chronostratigraphy of the Tinit-1 site in the context of the “Loess Paleolithic” problem in the Caucasus

The Tinit-1 site is located in the lower reaches of the Rubas River in Southern Dagestan. Stone industries were discovered in layers 2-8 at 11 archaeological levels; they formed two cultural and chronological groups. New works, which were done at the site in 2023-2024, indicate that its section contained several loess-paleosol complexes. Several distinctive paleosols were identified (layers 2, 4, 6-8). These complexes can be interpreted in several ways. First interpretation correlates layers 2 and 4 with the Bryansk interstadial (MIS 3) which had two paleosols, while the underlying paleosols (layers 6-8) can be attributed to the Mezinsky interglacial (MIS 5a, MIS 5c, and MIS 5e). This interpretation is supported by the calibrated AMS age from charcoal in layer 2 (43,159 ± 954 BP). Another possible correlation indicates that layers 2 and 4 can be attributed to different stages of MIS5, while the underlying deposits of layers 6-8 - to MIS7. This is consistent with the preliminary results of OSL dating (excavation 2, work of2023) which has shown that layers 2-4 emerged 90-130 ka BP, and the only sample from layer 5 had the age of ~200 ka BP. If new age determinations confirm this interpretation, cultural attribution of the site will require a radical revision. New studies at the Tinit-1 site tentatively indicate an early emergence of blade industries in the Caucasus (200-180 ka BP) and their possible connection with technocomplexes of the Early Levantine Mousterian (type Tabun D).