Age of the earliest Paleolithic sites in the northern part of the Armenian Highland by SHRIMP-II U-Pb geochronology of zircons from volcanic ashes

► U-Pb SIMS dating of zircon in artifact hosting ash bearing deposits associated with Paleolithic sites. ► Stratigraphically consistent younging of ages 1.9-1.6 Ma correspond to depositional ages of the ashes and associated Acheulian artifacts. ► These results help to reveal the earliest hominin dispersal.