Progress Report on the 2025 Excavations at Taglar Cave, Azerbaijan
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.30546/679523.2.2026.003.009Keywords:
Mousterian, Middle Palaeolithic, Neanderthals, Cultural Evolution, South CaucasusAbstract
Taglar Cave is a significant Middle Palaeolithic site located in the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan. Following its discovery in 1960, the site underwent a series of archaeological excavations until 1986. These early investigations revealed extensive Middle Palaeolithic deposits extending to a depth of 6 meters, establishing the cave as a key locality for the study of Neanderthal cultural traditions and behavioural evolution. In 2023, a new multidisciplinary project was launched to further explore the site’s archaeological and anthropological potential. This initiative employs modern research strategies, including advanced dating techniques and archaeometric analyses that were unavailable during the initial excavations. This study presents the findings for the 2025 field season. A primary highlight of this season was the discovery of rich Middle Palaeolithic deposits on the cave entrance terrace, an area that had remained unexcavated in previous decades.
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