Lower Paleolithic occupation of the Northern Caucasus

Today only Treugol'naya Cave presents reliably dated evidence of human settlement on the northern slope of the Caucasus Mountains from its initial stage at the beginning of the Middle Pleistocene through the end of this period, as well as being one of the oldest sites in Europe. The cave is a small karstic cavity situated 1500 m above sea level in the Upper Kuban’ Basin, and filled with up to 4.5 m of loam and rubble. Layers containing stone artifacts are dated (ESR, pale-magnetism, pollen, and fauna) to the early through late phases of the Middle Pleistocene. The artifact assemblages are assigned to the Lower Paleolithic flake and pebble tool industries completely lacking in hand axes.