2022 archaeological survey in the Ust-Kan district of the Republic of Altai

The article provides the results of field archaeological exploration aimed at identifying new archaeological sites in the Ust-Kan district in the Republic of Altai. The exploration route was carried out along the sides and in the valleys of the Anui, Charysh, Kirlyk, Yabogan rivers. A key objective of exploration was to identify the Paleolithic sites associated with rock massifs. The rationale behind this idea includes previously identified and well-studied Paleolithic sites in the study area, such as Ust-Kanskaya and Kaminnaya caves, Ust-Karakol open-type location. In this regard, special attention was paid to such objects as caves, canopies, and grottoes. On the other hand, as part of the survey, all archaeological structures located in the territory of the studied area were surveyed. Since the exploration involved archaeological monitoring without excavations, the discovered sites were assessed visually for the presence of artifactual remains. So, in the area of the village of Yakonur, a burial mound was described consisting of nine mounds, three caves, and two grottoes. The mounds are oriented in the north-south direction. Earth fills of the mounds are made of stone. A visual inspection of the fills and the surrounding area did not reveal any archaeological material. Among the Yakonur caves and grottoes, there are several promising objects for further research with local excavation, for identifying their stratigraphic pattern, and discovering the archaeological material. The conducted exploration, which showed the prospects of discovering new archaeological sites of a wide chronological range in the Ust-Kan district, is not exhaustive and suggests further exploratory research.