Correlation of the Late Paleolithic in Primorie with the contemporary complexes in China and South Korea

The origins of the Paleolithic in Primorie are still under discussion. The current hypothesis ofpeopling from the northwest via the Amur region has not been supported by facts. The nearest Late Paleolithic complexes with clear stratigraphy and 14С dates are located on the Selemzha River (Ust’-Ulma sites) and in Southern Sakhalin (Ogon’ki 5 site). There are no dated Paleolithic sites between these sites and the Ustinovka-Suvorovo group in Southern Promorie. Archaeological evidence of the Late Paleolithic in East Asia demonstrates very early emergence of industries with pressure technique of micro-reduction. In the last decades, large amount of data has been obtained from archaeological collections at stratified sites, accompanied with equally large number of 14С and OSL dates. The earliest microlithic complexes in the Korean Peninsula are known from the Jangheung-ri and Sinbuk sites dated to ca. 29,000 cal BP. In 29,000-20,000 cal BP, microlithic complexes spread over the entire Korean Peninsula. In Northern China, sites with microlithic component and reliable dates appeared not later than 22,000 cal BP (Shizitan, Longwangchan). The Datong site in Northeastern China is located in a vicinity of the Russian Primorie. This site, dated to 20,000-16,000 cal BP, shows clear similarity with microlithic complexes of the Ustinovka-Suvorovo group of sites. The earliest sites in Primorie (Suvorovo 4, Ustinovka 5 and 7) have similar age of 19,500-18,500 cal BP. This data indicates that the most likely scenario for peopling of the region was associated with the south - China and Korean Peninsula.