Аннотация:Abstract. One of the raw material strategies used by Neanderthals and modernhumans was the organization of stone-knapping workshops on outcrops of highquality raw materials, including flint. The Besleneevskaya open-air stratified siterepresents an example of a flint knapping workshop located directly on sourcesof one of the best-quality colored flint that was widely exploited in the MiddlePaleolithic and Epipaleolithic in the North-Western Caucasus. In 2020, new excavations and multidisciplinary research were conducted at the site, including rawmaterial studies. We present the first results of this petroarchaeological research.A sample of archaeological flint artifacts was analyzed using optical microscopyand scanning electron microscopy to define the mineral composition, texturalpeculiarities, and microinclusions in the flint samples. Our results are importantfor understanding the raw material strategies, particularly those associated withhigh-quality flint in different periods of the Paleolithic.Keywords: High-quality flint · Besleneevskaya open-air site · Opticalmicroscopy · Scanning electron microscopy · Paleolithic · North-WesternCaucasus