Статьи журнала - Archaeology, Ethnology & Anthropology of Eurasia

Inskoy dol: a new Early Bronze age site in Western Altai

Dashkovsky Р.К., Stepanova N.F.

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Integrative geophysical studies at the Novaya Kurya-1 cemetery in the Kulunda steppe

Pozdnyakova O.A., Marchenko Z.V., Grishin A.E., Balkov E.V., Dyadkov P.G., Evmenov N.D.

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Intragroup variation of the facial skeleton in 16th-19th century rural Russian populations in the worldwide context: a principal component analysis

Evteev A.A., Dvurechensky O.V.

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Irrigation systems of the Altai: results and prospects of archaeological studies

Konstantinov N.A., Beketova Akimova T.A., Soenov V.I., Zhilich S.V., Rudaya N.A.

Статья научная

We present the fi ndings of studies concerning the irrigation systems of the Altai and outline the directions of their further exploration. Irrigation canals, widely distributed in alpine valleys and intermontane depressions, are streams of the drift type. Most are found in central Altai and in the Chulyshman River valley of eastern Altai. Complex irrigation systems were recorded in the Bilgebash and Sarduma river mouths in the Chuya valley, in the Chulcha River mouth in the Chulyshman valley, and in Tötö, the Kurai basin. Pilot excavations of the main canals showed that wooden troughs had been placed on their bottoms. Radiocarbon analysis of wood from those troughs (Cheba and Oroktoi) suggests that they date to the Late Middle Ages, and a soil sample from the bottom of the canal of the Tenga irrigation system indicates early medieval age. In the 1800s and early 1900s, canals were used by the natives mainly for watering small plots of barley, but also of wheat and rye. Agriculture has been practiced in the Altai at least since the Early Iron Age, having fl ourished, apparently, during the Early Middle Ages. The fi rst irrigation systems must have appeared together with the fi rst farmers; however, taking into account the prolonged use and modifi cations of the main canals, assessing the time of their initial construction is diffi cult.

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Issues in the calendar chronology of the Seima-Turbino transcultural phenomenon

Chernykh E.N., Orlovskaya L.B., Korochkova O.N.

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Ivan Lepyokhin's expedition to the Middle Volga

Salmin A.K.

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Ivory figurines and the symbolic context of a Paleolithic dwelling at Kovrizhka IV on the Lower Vitim river, Eastern Siberia

Tetenkin A.V., Zhmur O.V., Demonterova E.I., Kaneva E.V., Salnaya N.V.

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Jade artifacts from Bronze Age cemeteries in the Cis-Olkhon area, the western coast of lake Baikal

Goriunova O.I., Novikov A.G.

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Kainar: a late 18th to early 20th century ritual and housing complex in the Northern Ustyurt

Azhigali S.E., Turganbayeva L.R.

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Karakalpak family ritualism: the Bes Kiyim custom in the transformation of traditional culture

Kurbanova Z.I.

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Khengerekte-Sukhotino-an Upper Paleolithic culture in Transbaikalia

Tashak V.I.

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During the studies at the Barun-Alan-1 stratified site in Western Transbaikalia, a lithic industry was described, providing a basis for a new archaeological culture, termed Khengerekte. Similar materials were excavated from nearby sites such as Sloistaya Skala and Khenger-Tyn-3 Svyatilishche. A comparative analysis of the Khengerekte industry of Barun-Alan-1 and that from the Sukhotino-4 in southern Chita, Eastern Tranbaikalia, reveals that most of their typological groups are quite similar. On that basis, the culture’s distribution area was extended, and the culture itself was renamed Khengerekte-Sukhotino, spanning ~400 km from Barun-Alan-1 in the west to Unenker in the east. The calendar age of excavated layers of key Khengerekte-Sukhotino sites, Barun-Alan-1 and Sukhotino-4, was estimated at 12–33 ka BP. Their lithic industry, based mainly on microblades, is described. Bifaces, unifaces, and high side-scrapers are common. The origin of the Khengerekte-Sukhotino culture is an open question.

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Kinship analysis of human remains from the Sargat mounds, Baraba forest-steppe, Western Siberia

Pilipenko A.S., Cherdantsev S.V., Trapezov R.O., Molodin V.I., Kobeleva L.S., Pozdnyakov D.V., Polosmak N.V.

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Koksha Rovsky Kholm and Chertova Gora, two Neolithic sanctuaries in the Urals and in Western Siberia: similarities and differences

Shorin A.F.

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Komudvany—a Final Paleolithic Site in the Lower Ob Valley: Geomorphology, Paleontology, Archaeology

Makarov S.S., Zolnikov I.D., Rezvyi A.S., Anoikin A.A., Zenin V.N., Leshchinskiy S.V., Vasiliev A.V.

Статья научная

This article is devoted to the preliminary results of multidisciplinary studies at Komudvany—a site located within a “mammoth cemetery” in the Lower Ob basin. We present the excavation history, geomorphological characteristics, results of radiocarbon analysis, and descriptions of archaeological and faunal remains. According to geological and geomorphological criteria, three parts of the site are distinguished: the terrace, the promontory, and the fl oodplain. The radiocarbon analyses of bones show the chronological heterogeneity of fl oodplain fi nds. Finds from the promontory and the terrace most likely represent a single episode of habitation and butchering or collecting bones and tusks. The mammoth “cemetery” was dated to 20–12 cal ka BP. At least one episode of habitation and human activities has been registered and dated to 15–14 cal ka BP. Archaeological fi nds and series of radiocarbon dates suggest the attribution of Komudvany to the Final Paleolithic. It is the northernmost site of that period in the West Siberian Plain and, along with Lugovskoye, is a reference object for studying the early human habitation in the northern regions of Asia.

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Lakhuti-IV: a new site of the Loessic Paleolithic in Tajikistan

Anoikin A.A., Rybalko A.G., Khudjageldiev T.U., Sosin P.M., Sharipov A.F., Kurbanov R.N.

Статья научная

We present the fi ndings of excavations at the Early Paleolithic site of Lakhuti-IV in the middle reaches of the Obi- Mazar River, Republic of Tajikistan. The geological and geomorphological situation in the area is reconstructed, and Pleistocene deposits are described. On the basis of the available chronostratigraphic constraints, we can determine time of formation of the cultural layer that is associated with deposits of the fi fth buried soil (pedocomplex 5, dated to ~0.5 Ma ago). Characteristics of archaeological fi nds (662 artifacts) from eight cultural horizons are discussed. Primary reduction is dominated by the simplest parallel, radial, and slice cores. Among fl akes, “citrus slices” and decortication chips are the most frequent. Tools include numerous fl akes and retouched fragments. Single-edged sidescrapers on large fl akes, denticulate-notched tools, and unifaces are abundant. The concentration of artifacts is very high for the Khovaling Loess Plateau. Lakhuti IV is the fi rst site of the Loessic Paleolithic where artifacts occur in distinct archaeological horizons. Industries associated with pedocomplexes 6–4 in the region (Obi-Mazar-VI, Lakhuti-I, -IV, etc.) show common features, such as primary reduction techniques (slice, radial, simple parallel) and the composition of the toolkits (choppers, unifaces, single-edged side-scrapers, etc.). The fi ndings allow us to draw more reliable parallels with contemporaneous industries of other regions. The closest similarities to industries of the Karatau culture are seen among the Soanian industries in northern Hindustan and the Early Paleolithic assemblages of southwestern China.

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Late Acheulean handaxes from Northeastern Caucasus: morphology and technology

Kharevich A.V., Kolobova K.A., Rybalko A.G.

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Late Krotovo (Cherno-ozerye) burials with casting molds from Tartas-1, Baraba forest-steppe

Molodin V.I., Durakov I.A.

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Late Pleistocene environments of East Kazakhstan (based on Ushbulak site materials)

Anoikin A.A., Pavlenok G.D., Silaev V.I., Shnaider S.V., Koval V.V., Devyatova A.Y., Vasiliev S.K., Bocharova E.N., Kharevich V.M., Taimagambetov Z.K.

Статья научная

We reconstruct environmental conditions at various stages of the Late Pleistocene and Early Holocene of East Kazakhstan. The reconstructions are based on materials from the stratified Ushbulak site in the Shilikta Valley, spanning a period from the Early Upper Paleolithic to the Bronze Age. Climatic changes were evaluated using natural science methods-mineralogical, ZooArchaeology by Mass Spectrometry (ZooMS), OSL- and AMS-dating, etc. Sevaral stages, relating to environmental changes, are evaluated. The fi rst period (~52–37 ka BP) was period of moderately warm and relatively humid climate, with predominantly forest-steppe, meadow-steppe, and semidesert landscapes. The second period (~25–21 ka BP) coincided with a transition from a moderately warm to a very cold and more arid climate dominated by steppes. The third period (~18–16 ka BP) was transitional from the glacial maximum to the postglacial interstadial, with a relatively cool and arid climate and mostly steppe and forest-steppe landscapes. The fourth period (~15–14 ka BP) was characterized by the warmest climate in the Late Pleistocene; steppe and forest-steppe vegetation dominated. During the latest, Early Holocene period, the climate was warm and humid, with savanna-like landscapes. The analysis of natural-climatic conditions allows us to conclude that the early stage of the site’s functioning, characterized by the highest intensity of settlement, was optimal for ancient man.

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Late Pleistocene paleoenvironments and episodic human occupations in the Orkhon valley of Central Mongolia

Khatsenovich A.M., Vishnevskaya I.A., Klementiev A.M., Zhilich S.V., Marchenko D.V., Kogai S.A., Rybin E.P., Olsen J.W., Derevianko A.P., Bazargur D., Gunchinsuren B., Volvakh A.O., Ge J., Okuneva T.G.

Статья научная

Here, we present initial results of a new course of research being carried out at the Moiltyn-am, Orkhon-1, and Orkhon-7 Paleolithic sites in the Orkhon River Valley, central Mongolia. Our research focuses on the Moiltyn-am site, which preserves a cultural and chronological sequence from the Final Middle to the Late Upper Paleolithic. Results from analyses of rare earth elements, Strontium (Sr) isotopes, and faunal assemblages are correlated with data on paleoenvironmental conditions in the region during MIS-3 and MIS-2. Our conclusions are based in part upon post- depositional changes detectable in archaeological material from cultural layers at the Moiltyn-am site revealed through convergent analyses of stratigraphy, sedimentology, planigraphy, and the comparison of Sr isotopes in sediments and osteological remains. XRF-derived geochemical data from the Moiltyn-am sedimentary sequence yields evidence of past climatic conditions. We correlated these data with human occupational episodes in the Orkhon Valley during the Middle and Upper Paleolithic, and the results are analyzed in the context of extant paleoenvironmental information from northern Mongolia. Our results indicate a relatively humid climate prevailed during MIS-3, followed by a period of aridification, and the redeposition of sediments at Moiltyn-am. Faunal analysis reveals that Bos sp. and equids were the principal prey species for humans in the Final Middle to Initial Upper Paleolithic, supplemented by members of the Caprinae during the Early Upper Paleolithic. A complex mammoth fauna inhabited forest-steppe and steppe landscapes in the Khangai Mountains during MIS-3 and MIS-2.

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Late Pleistocene to Early Holocene paleoclimatic boundaries and human settlement of the East Siberian Arctic

Pitulko V.V.

Статья научная

This article examines archaeological records relating to the East Siberian Arctic in the Stone Age. It spans approximately 50,000 years, from the early stage of MIS 3 to the Early Holocene. Human settlement of the region can be divided into three main stages: early (~50,000–29,000 BP, MIS 3), middle (~29,000–11,700 BP, MIS 2), and late (11,700–8000 BP). The peopling of Arctic Eurasia and the cultural evolution in that part of the world were driven both by abiotic and biotic factors, as evidenced by the correspondance between archaeologically detectable changes and key paleoclimatic events. Early human settlement of that region is associated with a population marked by West Eurasian genetic ancestry, whose cultural elements are typical for Southern Siberia. The early settlers were replaced by people displaying East Asian ancestry, migrating northwards under the impact of climatic changes. It is concluded that the successful peopling of the Arctic was facilitated by the adoption of critically important innovations such as sewing with eyed bone needles, and manufacture of long shafts and pointed implements made of mammoth tusks. Lithic industries marking various stages are described. That of the early stage is characterized by fl ake technology; in the middle stage, wedge-shaped core technology appeared; and the principal feature of the late stage is microprismatic technology, indicating total population replacement. The onset of the Holocene coincides with a key innovation—land transportation by dogsled, resulting in much higher mobility.

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