New evidence on the early middle paleolithic from Denisova cave

This paper discusses data obtained from an analysis of lithic industries recovered from the Pleistocene deposits in Denisova Cave during the 2020 excavations. The excavations focused on the middle part of the south chamber to examine the oldest occupation layers, i.e. 18 and 17. The correlation between the major lithological and stratigraphic characteristics has made it possible to infer that this part of the section exposed in the south chamber corresponds to layers 21 and 20 in the main chamber and layers 15 and 14 in the east chamber of the cave, which appear to have been deposited under the favorable environmental and climatic conditions of MIS 7. The early Middle Paleolithic assemblage from layers 18 and 17 includes 8,679 lithic artifacts. Primary flaking in these lithic industries is mainly characterized by discshaped cores. Parallel cores with a volumetric flaking surface and elongated flake scars are also present. The flake industry primarily consists of short flakes; blades and Kombewa flakes were recognized as well. The stone tools were manufactured on massive flakes using retouch. Other typical secondary reduction techniques were trimming and truncation. The tool assemblage is dominated by different types of scrapers (including those showing evidence of the Quina retouch), denticulate, notched, and spur-like tools. Numerous ventrally thinned and basally truncated flakes are diagnostic artifacts of this assemblage. Presently, these lithic industries, in terms of their cultural and chronological characteristics, have no parallels neither in the Altai Paleolithic nor in the entire North and Central Asia. They show the greatest similarities with the early Middle Paleolithic Acheulo-Yabrudian assemblages in the Near East, dating to 350-250 ka.