Open Access Late Quaternary Caspian: Sea-Levels, Environments and Human Settlement

Abstract: This paper is focused on the discussion of the exact age, and environmental setting of the ‘Khvalynian ’ Trans-gression of the Caspian Sea with the use of novel radiometric, isotopic evidence and GIS-linked modelling. Based on this evidence the Khvalynian transgression is viewed as coeval with the warm Late Glacial episodes in the higher latitudes, reaching its peak at 13.6- 11.8 ka. During that period the Caspian Sea was connected with the Caspian Sea via the ‘Ma-nych-Kerch-Spillway ’ north of the Caucasus Mountains. We also suggest a younger age for Mousterian sites in the Cas-pian basin, which are usually associated with the populations of Neanderthal humans. The initial emergence of Mouste-rian industries in this area was broadly contemporaneous with MOI 3 that included the LGM (25-18 ka). Their expansion was largely coeval with the Khvalynian transgression