THE EARLIEST EVIDENCE OF HUMAN OCCUPATION IN SOUTHEASTERN EUROPE: A PROCESSED CAMEL BONE FRAGMENT FROM THE LOWER DON

A fragment of a metatarsal of an extinct camel with chop marks found in the lower horizon of the Khapry alluvium on the Lower Don is described. The analysis demonstrated that the marks were left by a single tool with a robust and sharp edge (either a chopper or a large fl ake) during the butchering of a camel carcass. The animal belonged to the species Paracamelus alutensis – a typical member of the Khapry fauna (Middle Villafranchian, 2.1–1.97 Ma BP). The context of the find and the distinct traces of processing indicate an early human settlement of Eurasia.