KOZARNIKA CAVE (Nikolai Sirakov – nikolaysirakov@gmail.com, Jean-Luc Guadelli) The exploration of the contact zone between Strata 11c and 12 was completed in Sectors Nos. 7 and 8 in the entry hall of the cave. The upper part of Stratum 12 could be related to the late phases of the early stage of the Lower Paleolithic period. The flint series from that context included several core-tools, an atypical bec dejeté and retouched splinters. After the exploration of Stratum 13 was completed in Sector 12, the excavation of Stratum 14 began and it was found that the stratum was sterile. During the explorations, bones from Ursus cf. etruscus, Homoterium sp., Meles sp., Panthera schaubi and Procamptoceras were found. The features of the Pleistocene fauna indicated that the early stages of the Lower Paleolithic period in the Kozarnika Cave dated to 1.6 – 1.4 Ma BP. The presence of tephra indicating volcanic activity was confirmed in Stratum 9c, which showed that the late phases of the Middle Paleolithic period dated to 55 – 60 Ka BP.