Lithic caches in the paleolithic - neolithic in the far east: terminological and functional aspects of discussion

This article addresses the caches of stone artifacts of the Final Paleolithic - Neolithic/Jomon (35,000-2500 cal. BP), which have been found in the Russian part of the Far East and the Japanese Archipelago, focusing on terminology and functional purpose of the artifacts. There are less than dozen of such complexes in the Russian part (Novopetrovka culture on the Middle Amur, Osipovka culture on the Lower Amur, Ustinovska complexes in Primorie, and Ushki sites in Kamchatka), whereas there are over four hundred sites of the Final Paleolithic - Jomon on the Japanese Archipelago. Although caches significantly differ in terms ofnumber of artifacts and their types, production techniques, location, and raw materials, in almost all cases, a single term is used for this category of finds both in Russian and Japanese archaeological literature. This term seems to be too general and does not reflect the diversity and specific functional features of the evidence. As an example of the typological division of caches, the author mentions the experience of specialists working with the evidence of Pre-Pottery Neolithic A (PPNA, 12,000-8500 cal. BP) in the Near East and Western Asia, as well as ritual complexes of bifacial artifacts belonging to the Classical (3rd-10th centuries AD) and Post-Classical (10th-15th centuries AD) periods in Mesoamerica. The variants proposed for dividing caches into functional (deposits, reserves), those temporarily excluded from the technological chain, and symbolic (votive, dedicatory, joint), intended exclusively for the ritual realm, are discussed, and prospects for further research of this topic are suggested.