East Caucasus in the late eopleistocene (calabrian): palaeogeography and archaeology

Purpose. The results of the archaeological work in the Caucasus in the 21st Century indicate that it has been intensively populated since the beginning of the Quaternary Period. The problems of the natural environments in the Early Pleistocene and the material culture of the early Homo are fundamental for understanding the ancient history of the Caucasus. The Late Eopleistocene (Calabrian) in the East Caucasus corresponds to the Apsheron stage of the history of the Caspian Sea (1.7-0.8 Ma). The palaeolandscape of the southeast of Eastern Europe, including the Eastern Caucasus, during this period is comparable to the modern open landscapes in Africa. Palynological data show that in the East Caucasus, the high-altitude zonation of vegetation was already present in the Apsheron; its formation was associated with the tectonic uplift of the Greater Caucasus. The wildlife is characterized by the Taman complex, indicating the adaptation of the steppe fauna to the fall of temperature and increasing humidity of the climate, as well as expansion of the forested areas. Sites of the Apsheron time have been found in several districts of the Caucasus and Ciscaucasia: Central Dagestan (Akusha group of sites), Kurinskaya Depression in Azerbaijan (Garadzha), Lori Plateau in Armenia (Muradovo, Kurtan), South-Georgian Highlands (Amiranis-Gora), Taman Peninsula (Bogatyri, Rodniki-1-4). Results. For the Calabrian, several stone industries are known in the Caucasus - Oldowan/pebble-flake, Early Palaeolithic small tool industry and Early Acheulean. The most expressive early complexes with bifaces date to the end of the Apsheron period and contain a significant number of Oldowan elements (Garadzha). Conclusion. Analysis of the natural conditions and fluctuations of the Caspian palaeobasin shows that the development of archaeological cultures in the eastern part of the Caucasus occurred during stable and favourable natural conditions, and it was of a weak evolutionary character.