New U-Th Dates from Vindija, Velika pećina (Kličevica) and Mujina pećina and Their Implications for Chronology of the Middle Paleolithic in Croatia

This paper reports new results obtained by Uranium-Thorium (U-Th) dating of animal bones, tooth and flowstone samples from three Croatian Middle Paleolithic sites. Dates were obtained on bones and teeth from Vindija (Hrvatsko zagorje) and flowstones from Velika pecina in Klicevica and Mujina pecina (both in Dalmatia). Obtained results support the previously established chronology of the Middle Paleolithic of Croatia by confirming that the oldest layers of Vindija belong to MIS 6 and that Velika pecina in Klicevica was visited by Neandertals after 40 ka BP.