Preliminary data on the early stages of acheulian in the Caucasus

As a result of studies conducted by the Armenian-Russian archaeological expedition in the north of Armenia (Lori depression) a new group of localities with geterochronous dacitic Acheulian industries has been found. Three multi-level sites (Muradovo, Karakhach, Kurtan) containing Middle and Early Acheulian industries with choppers, picks and crude bifaces have been first discovered. The Muradovo cultural sequence shows a general evolution of the Early-Middle Acheulian industries in the region. The Kurtan industry corresponds to its later stage. According to absolute dating the Kurtan artefact bearing deposits may date about 1.0 Ma. In Karakhach three absolute U-Pb-dates 1.901 ± 0.042 Ma, 1.804 ± 0.30 Ma and 1.750 ± 0.020 Ma were obtained for the ash layer with the Early Acheulian artefacts. Chronologically the Kara-khach site is close to the oldest Acheulian sites of East Africa. It suggests that Acheulian humans dispersed in Eurasia and, in particular, in the Caucasus much earluer than it was thought before.