Economic Specialization of Epipaleolithic Site in Layer 2 at Psytuaje Rockshelter in the Elbrus Region

Abstract

A comprehensive study of Paleolithic sites using methods from different disciplines makes it possible to reconstruct the time, climate and paleogeography of the area where sites are located, to make assumptions about the strategies of life support and mobility of human groups. The study of stone industries, involving not only the standard technical and typological analysis, but also traceology, provides new data on the function of tools and the occupations of Paleolithic people at the sites. The authors of the current paper used this integrated approach to reconstruct the economic activities of Homo sapiens at the Epipaleolithic site opened recently at Psytuaje Rockshelter in the Elbrus region (NorthCentral Caucasus, Republic of Kabardino-Balkaria). Lithic industry of Layer 2 corresponds to the Epipaleolithic age of this site. The studies carried out show that people here were not only engaged in the knapping of flint and obsidian and the manufacture of tools, but also actively used these tools for butchering hunting prey, possibly processing wood and skins. The study of raw materials and faunal strategies shows that human knew well the resources of the region and actively exploited them.

Keywords

• archaeology
• paleogeography
• central caucasus
• epipaleolithic
• psytuaje rockshelter
• lithic industry
• traceological analysis
• comprehensive analysis of stone tools
• hunting strategies