Preparation and transportation of stone raw materials in the initial Upper Paleolithic in Mongolia: Tolbor-4 site

The article discusses an assemblage of cores and preforms related to the situation of transportation of stone raw materials to the land developed by humans. As a result of excavations of the archaeological horizon 6 of the Tolbor-4 Initial Upper Paleolithic site in Northern Mongolia dating back to 42-45 ka, an evidence of transportation of a significant amount of high-quality raw materials to the site was discovered in the form of prepared, very large (20 to 30 cm long) narrow-faced cores and preforms. A series of large pre-cores and cores prepared by a typical Upper Paleolithic subprismatic volumetric core reduction method was also found in the lower part of the slope where the site was located. The provided series of artifacts from two different locations illustrates different variations of acquisition and on-site transportation of stone raw materials. The artifacts were primarily prepared at their acquisition location rather than at the site. For both assemblages of early knapping stage cores, the use of preparation methods adapted to the volumetric shape of raw material pieces is recorded. Pre-processing was associated with the formation of transverse ends of the core, and the removal of longitudinal spalls along the cortical (or prepared) core edge. Decortication was accompanied by the removal of several primary flakes, providing, when necessary, subrectangular shape of the initial blank. During further knapping, the surface convexity was set by opposite flaking of blades and detachment of side and crested blades and was carried out by means of prepared laterals.