ESR dating at Mezmaiskaya Cave, Russia

Area of Science:

• Paleoanthropology
• Archaeology
• Quaternary Science

Background:

• Mezmaiskaya Cave is a significant Paleolithic site in the Caucasus.
• The site contains rich faunal and hominin remains from the Middle and Upper Paleolithic periods.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze Neanderthal remains and associated artifacts from Mezmaiskaya Cave.
• To establish a chronological framework for the Middle Paleolithic layers using advanced dating techniques.

Main Methods:

• Excavation and analysis of archaeological layers.
• Radiocarbon dating (AMS 14C) of hominin bone.
• Electron Spin Resonance (ESR) dating of large mammal teeth.

Main Results:

• Discovery of a complete Neanderthal infant skeleton in Layer 3.
• Identification of Neanderthal infant skull fragments in Layer 2, with associated bone dated to 35.8-36.3+/-0.5 kyr BP.
• ESR dating of Mousterian layers (2-3) yielded ages ranging from 36.2 to 73.0+/-5.0 ka, assuming 20 wt% sedimentary water concentration.

Conclusions:

• The findings contribute to understanding Neanderthal presence and behavior during the Middle Paleolithic in the Caucasus.
• Dating results provide a more robust chronology for the Mezmaiskaya Cave sequence.
• The preservation of infant remains offers unique insights into Neanderthal life and death.