ARCHAEOLOGICAL EXPLORATIONS IN THE KOZARNIKA CAVE (Nikolai Sirakov – nikolaysirakov@gmail.com, Jean-Luc Guadelli) Early stages of the Upper Paleolithic period in sector 3, layers 5c, 6/7, with archaeological assemblages VII – VIII. The early phase of the Kozarnika Culture in layer 5c was presented with nuclei for small plates and small plates displaying several technological types. Some small plates were transformed in small points and elements for tools and weapons. The materials find parallels in small plates from Georgia dated to 34 – 32 ka BP. The absence of the classical Aurignac culture suggests that the latter was not transcontinental. Arguments for the absence of Aurignac during the origin of the Upper Paleolithic period in Southeast Europe were found also during the study of materials from Croatia. Layer 6/7 was almost missing. A small number of artifacts, displaying Mousterian rather than Upper Paleolithic features, is found. Late stages of the Lower Paleolithic period and transition to the Mousterian period in sectors 8 – 7, 12. Concavities filled with sediment from layer 10b (beginning of the Middle Paleolithic period) were discovered in layer 11a (end of the Lower Paleolithic period). Small number of artifacts with typical Mousterian shapes was found: two Levallois nuclei, a Mousterian point, a scraper. Nuclei – tools, a bifacial scraper, nuclei displaying Levallois tendency and disc-like nuclei from the developed Lower Paleolithic period were found in layer 11а–а\’ in sectors 8 – 7. Nuclei – tools, scrapers and punches were found in layer 11b in sector 12. The faunal assemblages of layers 13, 12, 11c are related to bio-zone 18 and partly 17 after Guerin. Therefore, the beginning of the Upper Paleolithic period may be dated between 1.8 Ma and 1.4 Ma BP. The presence of Panthera cf schaubi, Canis etruscus and Chasmaporthetes lunensis, even suggests an earlier date.