The newly discovered Altairy-1 Paleolithic site and lithic raw material transportation at the Paleolithic sites in the Elovskaya valley (Central Altai Mountains)

The dynamics of lithic raw material selection at the Kara-Bom Middle and Upper Paleolithic site (central part of the Altai Mountains) is an example of human adaptation to raw material sources occurring at various distances from the site. Lithic production at Kara-Bom was based on the selection of high-quality raw materials during all phases of the cultural sequence. Petrographic study indicates the use of effusive (igneous) rocks, but another definition of this kind of rock based on geochemical analysis and the Frolov's system of rock classification indicates that siliceous rocks (silicate rocks) comprised the principal raw material type. It was previously thought that lithic raw materials were brought to the Elovskaya Valley from river alluvium; nodules transported from primary outcrops by water, allowing humans to collect raw materials near the site. We investigated the Elovskaya Depression near the Kara-Bom site and Altairy Stream flowing out of the area of raw material outcrops. The Altairy Stream bed contains numerous nodules of high-quality raw materials, suggesting that the Altairy Stream valley (altitude 1,400-1,900 m ASL) was the primary raw material source for the inhabitants of the Kara-Bom site. We also discovered a new Paleolithic site, Altairy-1, where primary processing took place as indicated by the presence of large primary spalls and a radial core. This material was likely re-deposited and can be tentatively described as Middle Paleolithic.