Late Paleolithic assemblages of the Tobor-4 site (northern Mongolia): archaeological horizons 3-1 (excavations of 2017)

A representative chronostratigraphic record ofthe Upper Paleolithic sequence in Mongolia was studied using the sediments from the Tolbor-4 site located in the valley ofthe Ikh-Tulburiin-gol (the Tolbor Valley) - the tributary ofthe Selenga River. This article discusses the cultural features ofthe Late Upper Paleolithic industries from archaeological horizons 3-1, excavated at the Tolbor-4 site in 2017. A radiocarbon date of14,547± 73 (AA-93139) was obtained for horizon 3; the calibrated values were 16,110-15,481 BP. The industry of horizons 3-1 was distinguished by a clear trend towards parallel reduction as well as situational reduction. The share of blades was noticeable and small-blade component of the industries was very high. As opposed to the Initial Upper Paleolithic and Early Upper Paleolithic assemblages, the industries discussed in this article were distinguished by predominantly unidirectional knapping. The toolkit was dominated by carefully processed side-scrapers, variety of end-scrapers, and less numerous borers, burins, points, backed bladelets, and notched-denticulate tools. The industries of horizons 3-1 at the Tolbor-4 site show the range of variability of the Late Paleolithic of Southern Siberia and Eastern Central Asia, while having a number of specific features, such as active reduction of flat-faced cores for producing flakes and low use ofwedge-shaped cores, which suggests a regional variant of the Late Paleolithic technological adaptations.