New excavations at the Middle Paleolithic site Zaskalnaya V, Crimea: the 2012-2013 field seasons
Chabai VP, Uthmeier T (2018)
Publication Language: English
Publication Type: Journal article, Original article
Publication year: 2018
Journal
Book Volume: 65
Pages Range: 27-71
DOI: 10.7485/QU64_2
Abstract
The Middle Paleolithic site of Zaskalnaya V is a buried rock shelter situated in the Eastern part of the Crimean Peninsula. Large-scale excavations conducted by Kolosov between 1969 and 1994 made Zaskalnaya V a reference site for both the definition of the “Ak Kaya culture” of the Crimean Micoquian and regional Middle Paleolithic chronology. Despite their merits, the previous excavations left open questions relating to site formation and the resolution of the archaeological sequence and therefore the relevance of the assemblages, environmental studies and absolute dates published thus far. Here we attempt to resolve these questions by reporting the results of a small-scale excavation conducted in 2012 and 2013 immediately adjacent to the old trench. Instead of ten lithological layers and eight cultural layers, the recent excavations documented 4.5 m of deposits, 23 lithological layers and 87 archaeological levels. Although the absence of weathering traces on artifacts and bones as well as the excellent preservation of dry-land snails and thin lenses of burnt material interpreted as fireplaces suggest phases of stratigraphic stability and rapid accumulation, other parts of the sequence are characterized by strong effects of both erosion and bioturbation, leading to the presence of several stratigraphic breaks. The in-situ archaeological levels contain a number of fireplaces and a complex of nested lenses of dark color originating from burnt material. This “complex of lenses” is a succession of natural depressions that were either filled with burnt and unburnt archaeological material by natural and/or human agency or used as protection for fireplaces. A series of palaeosols overprinting sediments from the lower part of the stratigraphic sequence can be tentatively correlated with OIS 5c. The existing ESR and radiocarbon dates (30 to 40 ka calBP) come from the middle and upper part of the sequence and are best understood as a broad proxy for the chronological boundaries of the rock shelter’s use in the middle Paleolithic period. In addition to numerous faunal remains and one Neanderthal tooth, the 2012 and 2013 excavations yielded a total of 355’085 lithic artifacts. Due to the excellent preservation of most of the archaeological levels and careful sieving, chips represent more than 96 % of the artifacts in each level. Faunal remains are yet to be counted. All lithic artifact assemblages demonstrate a high degree of technological and typological uniformity, which permit their classification as Crimean Micoquian. Within this techno-complex, archaeological Units II, IIA, III and IIIA belong to the Ak Kaya facies, which is characterized by tool assemblages with a low degree of reduction and interpreted as being produced near raw material outcrops. This finding is in line with the presence of several raw material sources close to the Zaskalnaya V rock shelter. However, despite this raw material proximity, Units I and IV show all attributes of the Kiik Koba facies, characterized by highly reduced assemblages which in the past were thought to result from large distances from raw material outcrops.
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APA:
Chabai, V.P., & Uthmeier, T. (2018). New excavations at the Middle Paleolithic site Zaskalnaya V, Crimea: the 2012-2013 field seasons. Quartär. Internationales Jahrbuch zur Eiszeitalter- und Steinzeitforschung / International Yearbook for Ice Age and Stone Age Research, 65, 27-71. https://doi.org/10.7485/QU64_2
MLA:
Chabai, Victor P., and Thorsten Uthmeier. "New excavations at the Middle Paleolithic site Zaskalnaya V, Crimea: the 2012-2013 field seasons." Quartär. Internationales Jahrbuch zur Eiszeitalter- und Steinzeitforschung / International Yearbook for Ice Age and Stone Age Research 65 (2018): 27-71.
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