Unenker - a paleolithic site of the khengerekte-sukhotino culture in the Transbaikal region

Recent research has shown that the stone industries of the Barun-Alan-1 site (lower level of layer 6, level 6/7, and layer 7) in the Western Transbaikal region and Sukhotino-4 site in the Eastern Transbaikal region belong to the same Khengerekte-Sukhotino culture. The earliest layers containing the evidence of this culture at the Barun-Alan-1 site are associated with the Final Early Upper Palaeolithic, while the latest layer were dated to the Final Upper Palaeolithic. It was believed that the area of this archaeological culture had the western boundary in Barun-Alan-1 and eastern boundary in Sukhotino-4 253 km to the east. Works in the archives of the Transbaikal State University in Chita have made it possible to identify similar features in the industries of Sukhotino-4 and Unenker located in the lower part of the Ingoda River valley (130 km to the east from Sukhotino-4). Field research at the Unenker site was conducted in 1984. Presently, the evidence of the Paleolithic Unenker site has been analyzed in detail. It has been discovered that stone artifacts from Unenker were identical to artifacts from Sukhotino-4 in terms of morphology and methods of tool production. The fact that the Unenker site belongs to the Khengerekte-Sukhotino culture makes it possible to expand the boundaries of the area where this culture was spread 130 km to the east. Judging by the geographical position of the Unenker and Sukhotino-4 sites, the Ingoda River valley should be considered as the most promising area in search for new sites of the Khengerekte-Sukhotino culture. Since the study of this culture is still at the early stage, the research problems to be addressed include the origin of this culture, directions of its expansion, specific regional features, etc.