To the question of fire-making and cult of fire in the Western Transbaikal Paleolithic

The materials of the Early Upper Paleolithic and the transitional period from Middle to Upper on the territory of Western Transbaikal demonstrate significant artifacts belonged to the symbolic activity of the ancient population and allowed to affirm the presence of the difficult system of the cultic ideas. The cult of hearth reported at the ancient settlement Podzvonkaya and the rite of a hearth function's cease associated with it can be considered as one of the most expressive cults. At the same time a number of items - pebbles with roundish bowl-dimple and the traces of ochre - have been found either directly nearby hearths or in peculiar hidings. The description and interpretation of such pebbles are given at this article, according to the ethnographical data these items could be used as bearing blocks for bow drill fire making.