Recent data on the Middle and Upper Palaeolithic stone tool industries from the southern gallery at Denisova cave

In 2018, archaeological studies in the Southern Gallery of Denisova Cave have been continued. It involved a study of the upper portion of the Pleistocene strata in the middle part of the chamber, including lithological layers 9, 11 and 12. Layer 12 deposited during MIS 4 has yielded a Middle Palaeolithic stone tool industry that shows evidence for employing Levallois and radial flaking techniques and a diverse variety of side-scrapers in the tool assemblage. The early Upper Palaeolithic assemblage recovered from layer 11 can be characterized by parallel flaking and a combination of the Middle and Upper Palaeolithic components in the tool kit. Archaeological materials from layer 9 indicate the further development of blade technology and the emergence of micro-tools in the middle Upper Palaeolithic.