Mousterian Hunters of the NW Caucasus: Preliminary Results of Recent Investigations

Abstract

Recent investigations have produced a group of important new Mousterian sites in the NW Caucasus (Russia). These sites, which range in elevation from 100 to 1350 m above sea level, include Il'skaya II (100 m)) Matuzka Cave (750 m), Barakaevskaya Cave (900 m), and Mezmaiskaya Cave (1350 m). Each contains a large faunal assemblage that, in conjunction with faunal remains excavated earlier from Il'skaya I (100 m) and Dakhovskaya Cave (500 m), constitute a rich source of information on Mousterian paleoecology in this part of Europe. Sites at lower elevations yield remains of mammoths and giant deer; at higher elevations, these taxa are absent but goats and sheep are common. Steppe bison is the most common species in a majority of assemblages, and bone modification and demographic data indicate that it was probably hunted (as opposed to scavenged) by Mousterian groups. Cave bear remains exhibit an inverse relationship to artifacts, and most probably reflect natural mortality. The economic role of mammoths is problematic; many bones and tusks may have been scavenged or collected.