Selenga River human dispersal path in Initial Upper Paleolithic

doi:10.16359/j.1000-3193/AAS.2022.0017

Abstract

Abstract:

Here, we consider earlier Upper Paleolithic sites in the Selenga River Basin, the main fluvial input of Lake Baikal that flows through northern Mongolia and the southwestern Transbaikal region of Russia. Lithic industries from these sites can be attributed to the laminar Initial Upper Paleolithic (IUP) technocomplex, widespread in southern Siberia and Central Asia. IUP industries appear in the Selenga Basin about 45 kaBP cal. Aspects of regional typological variability and the transport of exotic raw materials over long distances indicate that these populations participated in developed exchange networks and employed high mobility targeting the acquisition of necessary raw materials. Two site types are present: quarry-workshops in northern Mongolia and generalized activity settlements in the southwestern Transbaikal. Although faunal data are limited, we interpret available information as indicating a specialization on hunting, focusing on migrating steppe game species. The distribution of sites in the mid-altitudes and landscapes of the Selenga-Orkhon geographical region and the geomorphological homogeneity of this territory also supported interregional human moves during the IUP.

Key words: Central Asia, Initial Upper Paleolithic, migration, raw material, hunting

CLC Number:

K871.11

Evgeny P RYBIN, Arina M KHATSENOVICH. Selenga River human dispersal path in Initial Upper Paleolithic[J]. Acta Anthropologica Sinica, 2024, 43(05): 780-796.

Figures/Tables 4

Fig.1 Location of archaeological sites mentioned in text

Fig.2 Selected artifacts from North Mongolia Initial Upper Paleolithic assemblages 1, 3, 4, 6, 7, 9, 19. Blade cores, flat and subprismatic; 2. Stemmed blade; 5, 8. Bidirectional elongated triangular blades; 10, 16, 18. Levallois cores; 11. Levallois point, 12~15, 20, 21 23. Retouched blades and points on blades; 17, 24. Bifacial tools, 22. Endscraper. 1~15, 18~22, 24, Tolbor-4, AH6&5, modified after the references [2, 5, 36] and this study; 16, 17, 23. Tolbor-21, AH4, modified after the reference [20]

Tab.1 Species composition and ecological characteristics of fauna and archaeological features from selected Middle Paleolithic - Early Upper Paleolithic sites in Mongolia & the Russian Transbaikal region

Sites/Region	Units	spatial features	hearths	burned bones	bone cutmarks	Faunal composition (MNI, descendending order)	Ecology	Reference
Transbaikal
Podzvonkaya, East Complex	AH3	х	х	х	х	Equus sp., Bison sp., Ovis ammon, Procarpa gutturosa, Coelodonta sp.	steppe, alpine	[18, 29]
Podzvonkaya, SouthEast Complex	AH5	х	х	х	х	Equus caballus, Ovis ammon, Bos sp., Proсapra Gutturosa, Coelodonta antiquitatis	steppe	[29]
Khotyk	AH3	х	х	n.d	x	Proсapra gutturosa, Equus caballus	dry steppe	[37, 38]
Kamenka	А(С)	х	х	х	х	Equus Caballus, Proсapra Gutturosa	dry steppe	[24, 28]
Varvarina gora	AH2	х	х	n.d	х	Procapra gutturosa, Equus sp., Ovis ammon, Coelodonta sp.	dry steppe, alpine	[39, 40, 28]
Tolbaga	AH4	х	х	x	x	Coelodonta sp., Ovis ammon, Equus sp.	steppe, alpine	[40, 27]
North Mongolia
Tolbor-21	AH4	х	х	0	x	Equus ferus, Equus hemionus, Coelodonta antiquitatis, Poephagus baikalensis	dry steppe	[20]
Tolbor-21	AH3	0	0	0	0	Equus sp.		[20]
Tolbor 4	AH4 /4b	0	0	0	0	Equidae, Struthio asiaticus	dry steppe	this study
Kharganyn-gol 5	AH5	0	х	0	n.d.	Ovis	alpine	[4]
Central Mongolia
Orkhon 1 Рit 1,2	AH3	0	0	0	x	Equus sp., Ovis ammon, Poephagus baikalensis	steppe	[41, 13, 23]

Fig.3 Selected artifacts from Transbaikal Initial Upper Paleolithic assemblages 1, 4, 5-7, 13, 14, 17, 19. Various points on blades (including fragmented specimens); 2, 8, 20, 24. Retouched blades, 3, 21. Blades with transversal trimming; 10, 13. 16, 18, 22. Blade cores, flat and subprismatic; 9, 11. Levallois-like cores, 12. Stemmed blade, 15. Endscraper; 23. Crested blade. 1-12. Varvarina Gora, AH2. 1, 2, 4, 7-12. Modified after [15]; 3, 5, 6. Modified after [45]. 14-20. Tolbaga, AH4, modified after [46,27]. 21-24. Podzvonkaya, East Complex, modified after [18]

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