Towards a long-term tephrochronological framework for synchronisation of archaeological records in the Armenian Highlands and southern caucasus for MIS3: new data from Ararat-1 and Kalavan-2 sites

The use of distal volcanic ash horizons (tephra) in Palaeolithic archaeology is becoming an increasingly important tool for dating and correlating different sequences. Much work so far has focussed on Marine Isotope Stage 3 as it is a critical period in human history, and witnesses the transition in Europe and the Near East from the Middle to Upper Palaeolithic as a time transgressive process. One important region that has only recently begun to be explored for the potential of tephra in MIS3 archaeology is the Armenian Highlands. This paper reviews the published data from sites in the region within this time period and then presents new data from the sites of Kalavan-2 open air and Ararat-1 cave, covering the period from ∼60,000 to 30,000 BP (years before present). These data are compared to published tephra records from volcanic centres in the Caucasus and the Eastern, Central and Western Volcanic Provinces in Turkey, and selected eruptions in Greece and Italy. Based on these comparisons we propose that there are potential tephra correlations between archaeological sites across the Armenian Highlands and southern Caucasus (Kalavan-2, Ararat-1 and Ortvale Klde). We also propose that there are potential correlations between Kalavan-2, Ararat-1 and tephra from the Nemrut volcano, as recorded in the recently published Lake Van tephra. Specifically, we suggest a correlation to the Van V-51 layer dated to ∼62,000 BP for both Kalavan-2 and Ararat-1, and discuss a possible correlation for Ararat-1 only to the V-45 tephra, dated to ∼59,000 BP. The first proposed correlation is broadly in line with existing site chronologies and implies an early MIS3 occupation in the region, the latter date however, is not in agreement with the Ararat-1 site chronology, highlighting the difficulties of working on Palaeolithic archaeological sites. The paper finishes with a discussion of the critical elements that are required to move archaeological tephra studies in this region forward in the future.