Results of survey on the Medvezhyi islands archipelago in the Eastern Siberian Arctic in 2021

This article presents the data on archaeological prospects of Medvezhyi Islands - a remote Arctic archipelago located in the East Siberian Sea north of the mouth of the Kolyma River. Traces of presence of ancient people have been observed there since the 18th century by polar explorers and expeditions. Some evidence was obtained by the staff of the Soviet polar station on Chetyrekhstolbovoi Island and was published by N.A. Beregovaya and V.M. Raushenbach. In 1995, the archaeologists of the Prilenskaya Archaeological Expedition led by Y.A. Mochanov worked there. In the field season of2021, the authors of this article surveyed the easternmost Chetyrekhstolbovoi island of the archipelago as a part of works by the integrated expedition to the Medvezhyi Islands Reserve. Remains of ancient Eskimo dwellings were documented and small collection of surface materials was obtained. In total, nine dwellings were identified, six of which were in two groups three dwellings each. Dwellings No. 1-6 and 8 were partially excavated at different times. A collection of surface materials included 72 pottery fragments, 18 stone tools or their fragments, two flakes, 52 items of wood, two items of bone, one leather object, 30 leather fragments, 43 bones, three animal jaws and one claw, as well as a human hair. Faunal remains indicate hunting marine mammals, polar bears, arctic foxes, reindeer, and use of dogs in economic activities. The territory of Medvezhyi Islands is promising for studying early Eskimo cultures of marine hunters, as well as earlier Stone Age cultures.