A revised AMS and tephra chronology for the Late Middle to Early Upper Paleolithic occupations of Ortvale Klde, Republic of Georgia

The nature and timing of the shift from Late Middle Paleolithic (LMP) to Early Upper (EUP) varied geographically, temporally, substantively across Near East Eurasia; however, result this process was archaeological disappearance technologies length breadth their geographic distribution. Ortvale Klde rockshelter (Republic Georgia) contains most detailed LMP-EUP sequence in Caucasus, an environmentally topographically diverse region situated between southwest Asia Europe. Tephrochronological investigations at site reveal volcanic ash (tephra) various sources provide a tephrostratigraphy for that will facilitate future correlations region. We correlate one cryptotephra layers large, caldera-forming Nemrut Formation eruption (30,000 years ago) volcano Turkey. integrate tephrochronological constraint with new radiocarbon dates published ages OxCal Bayesian age model produce revised chronology site. This increases end LMP (?47.5–44.2 ka cal BP) appearance EUP (?46.7–43.6 Klde, which are earlier than those currently reported other sites Caucasus but similar estimates specific eastern These data, coupled archaeological, stratigraphic, taphonomic observations, suggest (1) bone stone has no technological roots preceding LMP, (2) population vacuum likely preceded these technologies, (3) systematic combination tephra absolute dating chronologies promises substantially improve our inter-regional understanding critical time interval human evolution potential interconnectedness hominins different sites.