Hosein Ramzanpour; Kamaleddin Niknami; Sajjad Alibaigi
Abstract
The archaeological site of Khaneh-sar 1 represents a geological facies comprising Pleistocene deposits situated southeast of the Caspian Sea, approximately 700 meters east of Komishan ...
Read More
The archaeological site of Khaneh-sar 1 represents a geological facies comprising Pleistocene deposits situated southeast of the Caspian Sea, approximately 700 meters east of Komishan Cave. Predominantly comprised of chert stone artifacts, with a minor portion characterized by fine-grained dark brown soil, which, in terms of density, type, and color, resembles paleosols within the loess layers prevalent in the region. Comparable geological deposits include those of the Early Khvalynian. Through the implementation of a Systematic Random Sampling method, a total of 4992 artifacts were recovered from this site. Given the inherent distinctions between Khaneh-sar 1, the Aurignacian of Garmrud-2, and the Zagros industries, the lithic assemblage analyzed in this study is identified as a local industry representative of the intermediate Middle-to-Upper Paleolithic era in Iran. Consequently, considering the techno-typological attributes, geological context, alongside late Pleistocene climatic events, the formation of Khaneh-sar 1 is postulated to have transpired during the late middle to early Upper Paleolithic period, coinciding with Marine Isotope Stage 3 (MIS3), Khvalynian transgressions, and the CB horizon of Neka Loess. Thus, the genesis of Khaneh-sar 1 can be traced back to the intermediate Middle-Upper Paleolithic, aligning with the MIS3
