The first archaeological survey and excavations of the Old Stone Age (Paleolithic) in the R. of Macedonia has begun towards the end of the 20th century. During the last three years prospection of 32 caves and rockshalters was carried out. The potentional sites were separated from the unpotentional. Open area sites were not registered until now.
Preliminary results were gathered from the probe excavations in the Golema Pest cave, pointing to a multilayered Paleolithic site. The project “Archaeological excavation and exploration in the Golema Pest cave”, near village of Zdunje, the Porece region in the Western Macedonia, some 65 km southwest from the capital Skopje, was carried out in the years of 2003, 2004 and 2005.
Nineteen geological layers were separated. On a small area of 6m2, 6000 stone artifacts and 4900 fauna remains were discovered into six geological layers. The cave was not excavated to the bottom.
The lithic industry was discovered together with the fauna remains. Among the fauna material, the following species were discovered: dear (Cervus elaphus), doe (Capreolus capreolus), Alpine ibex (Capra ibex), wild boar (Sus scrofa), cave hyena (Crocuta sp.), cave bear (Ursus sp.), beaver (Castor fiber), birds (Aves indet.), and turtle (Testudo sp.).
In the layers 6 and 5b a Middle Paleolithic industry with levallois and discoid conception and with mycrodimenzioned artifacts typical for the Mycromousterian was confirmed. The AMC analysis has revealed two dates: 47.100±4800 and < 50.000 BC.

Ljiljana Salamanov Korobar, Curator of Paleolithic Period