"J^ SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. 1 10 



work was concentrated in two areas : in the Kudepsta River gorge 

 near Navalishino and in the valley of the Mzymta River and the 

 Akhshtyr Gorge. 



Navalishino Cave is situated on the right bank of the Kudepsta 

 River, within 12 kilometers of the seacoast, at a considerable height 

 above the river. 



The excavations embraced an area of 22 square meters at the en- 

 trance to the cave. In addition, a small excavation was made deep 

 inside the main corridor of the cave. 



The upper horizons yielded microlithic implements and the bones 

 of hamster, badger, and slepysh\}\. The occasional remains of the 

 cave bear (Ursus spelacus) found here belong to other strata, and 

 are obviously located in a secondary deposit. 



Below that lies a stratum containing Upper Paleolithic finds, while 

 the faunal remains are mainly those of cave bear. Here were found 

 also the bones of elk, goat, hamster, fragments of tubular bones of 

 birds, and also shells of Anodonta and Helix. 



The lowest stratum yielded a few typical Mousterian implements. 

 Among the animals represented were cave bear, wolf, and goat. 



The character of the finds indicates that Navalishino Cave was not 

 occupied by a permanent settlement, but was rather a seasonal, 

 temporary site. 



Akhshtyr Cave (pis. 1-4) is situated on the right bank of the 

 Mzymta River, opposite Akhshtyr, within 15 kilometers of Adler. 



The excavators uncovered an area of 60 square meters. The finds 

 from the upper stratum included very late pottery and bones of do- 

 mestic animals. 



Below this were found Upper Neolithic pottery and polished im- 

 plements. In this stratum also belongs a flexed inhumation of a child. 

 Among faunal remains were wolf, roe, moufflon, and wild pig. 



Still lower lies a sterile stratum, below which were found objects 

 of the later stage of the Upper Paleolithic. The fauna included cave 

 bear, fox, wildcat, marten, deer, elk, roe, moufflon, goat, and wild pig. 



Beneath the Upper Paleolithic level lay the Upper Mousterian 

 stratum, which yielded a large collection of implements and fauna, 

 the latter, with the exception of the elk, which was absent, being 

 identical with that of the Upper Paleolithic. 



The Lower Mousterian was also rich in implements, which per- 

 mitted comparison with those from Ilskaia, and the finds from the 

 upper horizons of Kiik-Koba in the Crimea. 



Since the faunal remains were in a very poor state of preservation. 



