In the grotto Akhtsu near Sochi found traces of three ancient cultural layers

In the grotto Akhtsu completed the next stage of archaeological research. A joint Russian-Chinese expedition has identified three cultural layers belonging to different periods of ancient history – from the Upper Paleolithic, which is about 16,000 years old, to the supposed Mesolithic age of about 12,000 years.

During the excavations, specialists received a complete stratigraphic column of sediments, which allows to trace the sequence of formation of the ancient site. Among the finds this year are stone plates and nuclei, as well as microliths. The latter have analogues among the archaeological materials of Abkhazia and the northern regions of the Caucasus, in particular the Guba Gorge.

In addition, the researchers found two teeth, presumably belonging to children aged 8-9 years. Among the remains of animals are dominated by representatives of forest fauna: deer, deer, bears and wild boars.

Akhtsu Grotto was spotted by Sochi historian Andrei Kizilov in 2014. Ten years later, the site officially received the status of an archaeological monument. Subsequent studies confirmed the importance of the site for studying the ancient history of the Caucasus.

The participation of Chinese experts is connected with the possibility of using new dating methods. Previously, the age of such sites was determined mainly by biostratigraphic analysis. Additional studies may help to establish the chronology of the materials found.

The expedition was attended by students, postgraduates and undergraduates of Russian universities, as well as specialists of the Sochi Geographical Society. This year, the duration of field work was reduced from one month to three weeks due to limited funding.

All discovered artifacts are planned to be transferred to the Museum of the History of the resort city of Sochi. In the future, scientists intend to continue research of the Akhtsu grotto and prepare a monograph with the results of archaeological work.

Earlier it was reported that the average cost of renting an apartment for holiday holidays in Sochi is 6.2 thousand rubles per night.