New results of the Holocene deposit research in Denisova cave

The small areas with Holocene sediments were studied in the central and eastern galleries of Denisova Cave in 2015. This has resulted in new data acquisition in the field of stratigraphy, lithology and depositional conditions into the Holocene stratum and archaeological collection. The Holocene sediments of Denisova Cave had been forming for very short period on a geology scale. This time span is characterized by rather small range of the regional landscape-climatic fluctuations in compare with natural changes during the Quarter. Moreover, the human economic activity was the dominant factor, which formed the most part of the Holocene sediments in Denisova Cave. Not so much natural as the anthropogenic causes determined the intensity of the scattered horizon sedimentation, the appearance of the sedimentological hiatus and post-sedimentological disturbances, the special aspects of the diagenetic matter transformation. Not ornamented pottery fragments and products of stone flaking are the most part of the archaeological materials. Ornamented pottery and rare bone tools are relevant to the several long-term cultural chronological periods. Afanasievo culture is presented by fragments of the thick-walled pottery with the flat or combed slant stamps, step comb and deep scribed lines. The pottery with comb stamps and «pearls» design is related to the Bronze to Iron Age transition. As the rim fragments without ornament or ornamented by series of «pearls» well as socketed and stemmed arrowheads are divided up into the Early Iron Age. The bone spearheads with a bifurcate base or protruding socket present the Hun-Sarmatian time.