Results of archaeological survey in the Ust-Kan District of the Altai Republic in 2024

The article reviews the results of the field archaeological survey carried out to identify new archaeological sites in the Ust-Kan district of the Altai Republic. The survey route was located along the valley sides of the rivers of Anui, Charysh, Kyrlyk, and Kan. A main purpose of the survey work was to identify the Paleolithic sites associated with rock massifs. Therefore, special emphasis was placed on locations such as caves, shelters, and grottoes. The survey also included the research of all archaeological sites located throughout the area under investigation. As the survey implied archaeological observation without excavation, the identified sites inspected visually, for the presence of artifacts. For example, the research extended to the area around the village of Yakonur. In addition to previously researched objects, a cave, a grotto, and three rock shelters were characterized in this area. Several of these identified sites had no loose deposits, while in others, the soil thickness was less than 15-30 cm. One kilometer south of Denisova Cave, the valley of the Chinolyk stream was partially investigated, where a few rock shelters were identified. Near the Kyrlyk village, several stone hedges were found in the valley of the Kyrlyk River. The artifact collection including a fragment of pottery and two iron objects (a cleaver and a belt end) represented a single find on the upper second terrace to the north of the village of Cherny Anui. The survey continued in the Ust-Kan district has demonstrated further potential for discovering new archaeological sites of a vast chronological range there.