The Tenginskaya site of the Early Middle Paleolithic in Northwestern Caucasus

The Early Middle Paleolithic in the northwestern Caucasus remains largely unexplored. This paper presents and interprets data from the studies focusing on the Early Middle Paleolithic Tenginskaya site located in the Black Sea coastal line in the Shapsugo river valley. Based on the data of geological and geomorphological studies and the correlation of the site occupation layer with the deposits of the regional Pleistocene marine and river terraces, the site is dated with a great deal of certainty to the period of Asheylian transgression of the Black Sea and, consequently, to MIS 7, i. e. the time span of 245,000186,000 years ago. Unlike most of the Middle Paleolithic industries of the region, lithic industry of the Tenginskaya site is not Micoquian; instead, it is categorized as Levallois and blade industry. Easily identifiable among the tools are convergent tools and scrapers made from flakes with unifacial retouch. The tool assemblage is also represented by specific forms such as unifacial backed knives made of flakes and flakes with retouch truncation of the proximal end. So far, there are no direct parallels between lithic industry of the Tenginskaya site and that at other sites in the northwestern Caucasus. However, its similarity with Early Middle Paleolithic Levallois and blade industries of the southern Caucasus, in particular, industries at the sites of the Djruchula-Koudaro group located in the Rioni-Kvirila Basin can be observed.