New evidence of Late Pleistocene hominin occupations in the Southern Caspian Sea Corridor

Compared to the other parts of the Plateau, southern Caspian Seashore between the Caspian Sea and theAlborz Mountain Range is considered as a special biogeographical unit in the Iranian Plateau duringPleistocene. In addition to the rich fauna, flora and stone raw material resources, karstic geological systemhas formed numerous caves and rockshelters and could attract early hominins. In this regard, the researchproject "Southern Caspian Corridor: a biogeographical hominin expansion route" focused on the unknownareas of the southern Caspian Seashore, especially south eastern part, and led to the discovery of severalPalaeolithic sites, including Kiyasar ۱ Rockshelter and a large Middle Palaeolithic open-air site inHezarjarib district. The latter is formed on a four-square km geological formation including erodedlimestone beds associated with fine grained chert nodules. The location of the newly discoveredPalaeolithic sites together with the techno-typological analysis of the lithic assemblages, revealed adifferent settlement pattern and lithic techno-complex than what was known from the Palaeolithic periodin other parts of the Iranian Plateau. In our short survey into the Hezarjarib locality we focused on collectinglithic artefacts mainly from two concentration areas, as the whole locality is covered by numerous lithicartefacts. The preliminary study of the lithics documents the presence of typical Levalloisian industryincluding parallel Levallois flake and blade cores, Levallois points, flakes and blades and retouched toolson the Levallois pieces. The location of Kiyasar ۱ and Hezarjarib locality on the high plateau within theSouthern Caspian Corridor (SCC) and on the strategic pass of Damghan-Galougah, connecting inner partsof the Iranian Central Plateau and SCC, strongly emphasises the important role of SCC for the expansionof the Late Pleistocene hominins across the Iranian Plateau towards north and east. Comparing the resultsobtained from the study of the lithics from Kiyasar ۱ Rockshelter and Hezarjarib locality to the other regionsof the Iranian Plateau, especially the Central Plateau and the Zagros, the present paper aims to reconstructthe settlement pattern and cultural characteristics of the hunter-gatherers in an intermediate regionbetween the interior parts of the Iranian Plateau and Central Asia and Siberia during Pleistocene.