A Levalloisian Jasper Cache from the Arts Bogdyn Nuruu Massif in the Gobi Altai Mountains, Southern Mongolia

A Pleistocene deposit of jasper cores was discovered in the Gobi Altai Mountains, within the Arts Bogdyn Nuruu massif in southern Mongolia. It was situated on a mountain ridge above the Khutul Usny valley at a height of ca. 1500 m a.s.l., away from human settlement (N44 degrees 16'09.3 '', E102 degrees 53'41.5 ''). Examination of traces of the artefacts' use proved that at least some of them display evidence of working. Technological analysis of the artefacts revealed that the find should be related to the Levallois-Mousterian population of the central Asian Middle Palaeolithic. The cache from Arts Bogdyn Nuruu is the first discovery of this type recorded within the Gobi Desert. It is a potential source of information contributing to the discussion of the specific nature of raw material exploitation, the dynamics of settlement and hunting strategies in the Altai region. (C) 2019 Academie des sciences. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.