The spatial modeling of the cultural horizons from Biyka-1 cave (Mountain Altai)

The study of cave complexes need the special planigraphic and planimetric methods in virtue of cave deposit taphonomy. The archaeological object Biyka-1 is located in right valley slope of homonymous river, the right tributary of Katun River. Site was studied in 1993-1994. The cultural layers have a disturbance, including anthropogenic. The Character of stone industries supposed the representative and complete cultural sequence in Late Pleistocene and Early Holocene. The occupation episodes and spatial organization can be determined in terms of post-sedimentological process under the cave condition, rate of cultural layer change through the spatial modeling of four horizons with bedding artifacts. The planigraphic analysis give the additional opportunities to estimate the system of living space and her preservation. The method of spatial modeling is the one of the effective planigraphic instruments. Such models permit to retrace the cultural remain distribution in 3D measurement. The spatial models of the Biyka-1 cultural horizons were formed by Surfer software on the ground of1993-1994 field data. The models, created for cultural horizons 1-4 of Biyka-1 material complex, shew that cultural remains did not form the concentrations in clear planigraphic structures. But, the general characteristics of the material distribution clearly demonstrate the differences in exploitation strategies of cave inhabitants.