New data on the Khryashchi Acheulean site in the downstream of the Seversky Donets (the Lower Don)

The period when humans settled in the Russian plain and cultural traits of its first settlers remain a matter of debate. This paper analyzes materials from a stratified site known as Kryashchi located in the Lower Don region which is the earliest Acheulean site in the southeastern part of the Russian plain. The paper summarizes data on the site, and provides preliminary results of recent excavations. The analysis of remains of small mammals, malakofauna and palinological data demonstrate that the site was occupied during the Likhvin Interglacial (‘Big Likhvin’, MIS 11-9, ~ 420-270,000 years ago). The occupation layer located stratigraphically beneath the layer with thermophilic Likhvin malakofauna was formed during a relatively dry phase of this interval. It is a thin (1030 cm) layer of basalt pebble stone of the 3rd terrace above the flood-plain of the Severskiy Donets (the 4th terrace of the Don River?) underlying rock masses almost 30 m thick, these masses have different genesis of accumulation and include at least three buried soils. Remains from the occupation layer are represented mainly by stone items. Bones of large mammals are few and include remnants of the ungulates typical for the Middle and the Late Pleistocene of Europe (bison and red deer). Roundness of the items from the occupation layer suggests that humans were engaged in various activities on the river beach and that they visited the site repeatedly. A lack of cores and the use of materials brought from other places imply that the site was occupied for a short period of time. Its lithic industry does not appear to be Levallois and is well represented by trimmed tools such as large cutting tools and implements and smaller tools made on flakes and stone fragments. Presence of bifaces and a wide range of large cutting tools suggest that this industry belongs to those with Acheulean technologies. The industry of the site has some distinguishing traits. Direct analogies to the Khryashchi lithic industry have not yet been found; however, some technological characteristics and tool typology can be identified in Acheulean industries of Central Europe and the Western Caucasus.