Climatic Events and Upper Paleolithic Chronology in the Dniester Basin: New 14C Results from Cosautsi

We discuss the radiocarbon chronology of the loess deposited during the Upper Pleniglacial (Isotope Stage II) for the key site of Cosautsi (Republic of Moldova), which presents some major problems in 14C dating. Special care was paid to accurate microstratigraphic positioning of samples, collection of top-quality material (mainly conifer charcoal), and selection of uncontaminated pieces for dating and crossdating with bones by accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) and/or conventional 14C dating. The results provide reliable and precise information on the sedimentation processes, the succession of short climatic events and the cycle of recurrent human settlements on the site between ~20,000 and 16,000 BP. Two sets of climatic improvements can be ascribed to interstadial oscillations named, successively, Cosautsi VI (19,500-19,000 BP) and Cosautsi V (18-17,500 BP).