Technology and taphonomy of the Middle Paleolithic assemblage from the Uzun Mera site in Macedonia

Abstract

The open-air site of Uzun Mera in eastern North Macedonia provides new insights into Middle Paleolithic Neanderthal behaviour and site formation processes in the understudied Balkan Peninsula. Discovered in 2017, the site spans over 1.5 km² and contains lithic artefacts affected by both cultural and post-depositional processes. Technological analysis of 33 selected artefacts reveals a Middle Paleolithic industry featuring opportunistic, Levallois, and Discoid knapping methods, primarily using locally available jasper and flint. Taphonomic investigation identified two distinct alteration phases: mechanical modifications (edge crumbling, polishing, rounding) from trampling and fluvial transport, followed by chemical patination during burial in alluvial sediments. The post-depositional alteration sequence on the artefacts tells a story of a complex and dynamic past, during which geological processes impacted the primary location of the site and displaced the lithic artefacts to their current location in the alluvial plain. This study enhances understanding of Central Balkan Paleolithic human-environment interactions while highlighting the challenges of interpreting open-air sites with complex formation histories.