Excavations in the main chamber of Tsagaan Agui Cave in 2024

Tsagaan Agui Cave is a unique archaeological site in North and Central Asia, since it contains Upper and Middle Pleistocene deposits with well-preserved paleontological material and cultural remains down to its oldest layers. Since 2021, we have studied the northern part of the main chamber of Tsagaan Agui. Excavation pit 2 is located under an opening in the cave ceiling, open to the sky, which makes it possible to trace the boundary between relatively undisturbed layers and deposits affected by water and surface sediments flowing in through the opening. In 2021-2023, Pleistocene vertebrate species previously unknown in the region were discovered there, as well as lithic industries in layers 5.2, 5.3, and 7 associated with the bipolar knapping technique. In 2024, our work in excavation pit 2 focused on reducing and removing limestone blocks in the lower part of layer 7. The excavation depth was significantly greater than that recorded in the longitudinal profile along line A in this unit, thus we assume that the cave floor dips toward the cave’s northern wall. Thirty-three lithic artifacts were found in the deposits studied in 2024, all derived from sand lenses. They are the products of bipolar and simple unidirectional-transverse and orthogonal knapping. The 2024 toolkit is represented by a single perforator. Faunal remains were almost absent at the depths excavated. The presumed remains of a giant frog were found. The study of modern natural and climatic conditions prevailing in the Tsagaan Agui region makes it possible to interpret the erosion of layer 1 as the result of water entering from the opening in the northern part of the main chamber of the cave.