Paleoenvironment, the stone age. Рубрика в журнале - Archaeology, Ethnology & Anthropology of Eurasia
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A multidisciplinary study of finds from Suchu island (1973 season, excavation II, dwelling 1)
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A study of finds from excavation I at Suchu island, the Lower Amur (the 1974 field season)
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A zoomorphic antler staff from an Early Neolithic burial at Pushkinsky, the Orenburg region
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Aktas-an “ephemeral” Upper Paleolithic site in North Kazakhstan
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This paper presents new findings from field studies at Aktas, an Upper Paleolithic site first excavated in 1982 and 1983. It is located in North Kazakhstan, where Paleolithic sites are quite rare. We describe the stratigraphy, paleontology, archaeology, and chronology of Aktas. Six lithological layers are distinguished, two of which (3 and 4) abound in faunal remains. Chronology was generated from a new series of OSL-ages. The accumulation of layer 2 took place between ca 20–12 ka ago, whereas layers 3 and 4 were formed ca 50–30 ka ago. A side-scraper, made of imported flint, was found. The bulk of the faunal complex relates to large ungulates such as Pleistocene horse (Equus ferus), woolly rhinoceros (Coelodonta antiquitatis), and mountain sheep (Ovis ammon). Some bones bear traces of deliberate fragmentation and dismemberment using stone tools. These facts, along with the taphocenotic indicators (species composition, absence of traces of predator activity, etc.), as well as the location and stratigraphy of the site, allow us to conclude that the faunal assemblages at this location are anthropogenic. Traces of human occupation are scarce, suggesting that Aktas is an “ephemeral” site, attesting to human presence in that territory during the Late Pleistocene, but revealing no cultural indicators. The findings picture Aktas as a kill-site—the place where the prey was butchered and consumed. This is the only such site known in the area to date. The number of lithics is too small for cultural attribution. However, the estimated age suggests that North Kazakhstan was peopled as early as the beginning of MIS3, corresponding to the early stages of the Upper Paleolithic.
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An Early Neolithic sanctuary in the Eastern Irtysh basin
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We describe the findings of excavations at an unusual sanctuary in the Baraba forest-steppe. It is a structure consisting of a ditch encircling the presumed sacral space, and a system of pits containing non-utilitarian artifacts. Pits in the bottom of the ditch indicate wooden structures, which are not preserved. Descriptions of the features are provided. Artifacts are related to household, manufacturing, and ritual. On the basis of stratigraphy and radiocarbon analysis, relative and absolute chronology is assessed. The site dates to the 7th–6th millennia BC and is associated with the Barabinskaya culture. Parallels with Mesolithic and Neolithic sanctuaries and ritual sites in the Eurasian taiga zone are listed.
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