Faunal remains from deposits of Biyka-1 and Biyka-2 caves (Mountain Altai) and their archaeological context

Biyka-1, -2 the archaeological sites in the carstic caverns are situated at the right slope of the Biyka river valley, the right tributary of the Katun'' river (Russian Altai). For the Biyka-1 cave were obtained two uncalibrated 14С determinations: 23 480 ± 300 л.н. (Bln 4980) from the upper part of lithological layer 3 and 37 000 ± 1 000 (Bln 4981) from the contact of the layers 3 and 4. The small lithic assemblage obtained in layer 5 presumably can be attributed to the Denisovian variant of the Middle Paleolithic. The layer 4 contained the industry associated with Kara-Bom variant of the Initial Upper Paleolithic. The stone artifacts from the lithological layer 3 can be related to the terminal Early Upper Paleolithic or Middle stage of the Upper Paleolithic. The layer 2 included the Upper Paleolithic industry of the Sartan (MIS-2) time. The Holocene complexes characterize the layer 1 and the upper part of the layer 2, partially disturbed by anthropogenic intrusions. The fauna from the Pleistocene horizons of the Biyka-1, -2 sites has the well-defined mountain-steppe characteristics. The steppe mammals are presented by the remains of the gopher, saiga antelope, tolai hare, steppe polecat and Pleistocene ass (?). Siberian ibex, argali and Baikalian yak represent the mountain species. The bones of the mole and bank vole, probably introduced together with rangles of carnivorous birds, speak for the presence of the forest areas perhaps in the form of riverine vegetation. The bones, whose condition of preservation points at the Holocene time, were found in the horizon 1 in the both caverns, but they are more completely presented in the Biyka-1 cave, where the roe, equus and canine remains were determined along with the rodent remains.