Field research in Churapcha district of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) in 2023

Reconstructing physical and geographical environment in the Pleistocene in Eastern Siberia with the detailed study of the areas of initial settlement and stages in the development of this region by the ancient hominins as a part of solving the fundamental problem of human settlement in Eurasia and penetration into North America is one of the most important goals of Paleolithic research. Many previously discovered archaeological and paleontologicalfinds were studied fragmentarily without considering their proper lithological and stratigraphic context. The tasks of establishing the paleoecological situation at the discovered objects of archaeology and Pleistocene fauna, and reconstructing the interaction between the human paleopopulations, natural environment, and Late Pleistocene megafauna determine the need for searching new archaeological and paleontological objects. The exploration area in 2023 was chosen due to previous information on the finds of the Pleistocene faunal remains. Field research has made it possible to find the location of surface finds, including archaeological evidence. The discovered paleontological evidence corresponds to the Late Pleistocene mammoth complex. Archaeological evidence included the finds of Paleolithic and Mesolithic appearance. Thus, a new paleontological and archaeological site was identified in Churapcha District which shows good prospects for discovering new evidence of human presence during the Pleistocene. Numerous archaeological and paleontologicalfinds provide an excellent opportunity to reconstruct migration routes, determine the resource base of prehistoric populations, and reconstruct cultural interactions in space and time.