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Quaternary International 348 (2014) 4e13

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Quaternary International

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The early Upper Palaeolithic of the Tunka rift valley, Lake Baikalregion, Siberia

Artem Kozyrev a, Alexander Shchetnikov a, *, Alexey Klement'ev a, Ivan A. Filinov a,Andrei Fedorenko b, Dustin White c

a Institute of the Earth Crust, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Lermontov str., 128, Irkutsk 664033, Russiab Irkutsk State University, Irkutsk 664003, Russiac Archaeology, University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BF, United Kingdom

a r t i c l e i n f o

Article history:Available online 3 July 2014

Keywords:GeoarchaeologyLate PleistoceneMicroblade industryRadiocarbon datingTunka rift valleyLake Baikal region

* Corresponding author.E-mail address: shch@crust.irk.ru (A. Shchetnikov

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.quaint.2014.06.0121040-6182/© 2014 Elsevier Ltd and INQUA. All rights

a b s t r a c t

This paper presents recent results of geological and archaeological research at Late Pleistocene sites inthe Tunka rift valley (Lake Baikal region, southern Siberia), including new radiocarbon dating of thePalaeolithic layers at Bol'shoi Zangisan, Slavin Yar and Tuyana. The sites range in age from ~26 to 45 ka14C BP and represent the earliest evidence of human habitation in the area. Numerous faunal remainshave also been identified in the archaeological horizons fromwhich palaeoenvironmental conditions canbe reconstructed. These data also provide important new information about the age, context, anddevelopment of an early microlithic industry in the Tunka-Pribaikal'e region during the late Karginskiiinterstadial, attributed to Marine Isotope Stage 3 (MIS3). Although further research is needed to verifythe reconstructed site age models, archaeological evidence recovered at Tuyana and Bol'shoi Zangisanrepresent among the oldest known occurrences of microcore-microblade technology in North Asia.

© 2014 Elsevier Ltd and INQUA. All rights reserved.

1. Introduction

The Tunka rift valley extends sub-latitudinally for ~200 km fromthe southwestern tip of Lake Baikal in Siberia to Lake Hovsgol inMongolia, forming a tectonic topography made up of a series ofupland basins wedged between two high mountain ranges e theEastern Sayan and the Khamar-Daban (Fig. 1). In this tectonictrough of the Sayan-Baikal belt, the basins are occupied by low andwide (up to 30 km) plains where the taiga of Pribaikal'e and thesteppe landscape of Mongolia converge. Given this geographicalsetting of the Tunka valley, which forms a major natural migrationcorridor in continental East Asia, this part of Pribaikal'e has longbeen considered a highly promising area in terms of archaeologicalresearch, particularly for the Palaeolithic era.

Until recently, however, excavations in the Tunka valley hadrevealed only one stratified Palaeolithic site, Bol'shoi Zangisan(Fedorenko, 1985, 1987; Lbova et al., 2005). Subsequent work byarchaeologists from Ulan-Ude and Irkutsk proposed furtherarchaeological zoning of the area and adjacent parts of the EasternSayan based on new discoveries and compiled data (Lbova et al.,

).

reserved.

2005), including three sites reported to have yielded Pleistoceneartifacts (Fig. 1): 1) Shabartai e quartzite flakes and pebblesexhibiting flake removal scars recovered from an exposed eluvialsurface; 2) Zaktui e split pebbles, flakes and debitage found withinloess-like sandy loam deposits; and 3) Bol'shoi Zangisane stratifiedlithic artifacts dated to the Karginskii interstadial (MIS3) by asso-ciated palynological data, including evidence for a developedmicrolithic industry.

In this paper, we present results of new litho-stratigraphicstudies of Late Pleistocene sedimentary sequences in the Tunkavalley which have also yielded diverse and well-preserved faunalremains co-occurring with Palaeolithic artifacts. These data includenew ultrafiltered direct AMS radiocarbon determinations on fossilbone recovered from archaeological horizons which allow us torefine the chronostratigraphic framework of the earliest humanoccupation yet discovered in the investigated area.

2. Geographic setting of the Tunka rift valley

2.1. Modern climate and environment

The location of the Tunka rift valley, situated in the center of theAsian landmass, produces the sharp continental character of thelocal climate. The diverse and complex relief of the area, with

Fig. 1. Schematic map of the Tunka rift valley illustrating the location of archaeological sites mentioned in the text.

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elevation ranges spanning more than 2 km, also has a strong in-fluence on the formation of different micro-climates of local sig-nificance. On the whole, the region is characterized bycomparatively cold temperatures and a highly uneven distributionof average annual precipitation, with little snow during winter andrelatively dry condition during spring and the first half of summer,in contrast to a rainy second half of summer. Average minimumprecipitation totals (less than 300 mm) occur along the valleybottoms, whereas precipitation values reach 500 mm on thewindward slopes of the mountains (Zhukov, 1960). Average annualair temperature is below freezing (from �1 to �9 �C) (Zhukov,1960), which is significantly lower than in regions situated atsimilar latitudes in western Siberia and the Far East. Maximum airtemperature can reach up to 40 �C in July and August, with minimaltemperatures in January (to �45 �C).

Due to this topographic and climatic variability, vegetation coverof the Tunka valley is quite diverse, withmountainous tundra in thewest (upper Irkut River and Lake Il'chir area, elevation 1950 m),forest-steppe and steppe in the high Mondi depression (elevation1400 m), and plains taiga in the east (elevation 600e700 m). Moss-lichen tundra prevails in the higher mountains (elevations above2000 m) with thin forests of Siberian cedar (Pinus sibirica, Siberianstone pine), Siberian larch (Larix sibirica) and dwarf forms of Si-berian fir (Abies sibirica) dominant at elevations between 1800 and2000m. In the upper part of the forest belt (below 1800m) Siberiancedar and Siberian fir are widespread. Lower foothills are coveredwithmixed forests of Siberian larch, Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) andbirch (Betula sp.). Siberian spruce (Picea obovata) and poplar (Pop-ulus sp.) occur in the valleys of the rivers and floodplains areoccupied by thick shrubs (predominantly willow, Salix sp.) andwater-logged meadows and marshes.

2.2. Geomorphological context of Palaeolithic sites in the Tunka-Pribaikal'e

The relatively small number of Late Pleistocene archaeologicalsites currently known in the Tunka valley is due largely to the lowmodern population density and relatively remote and rural setting,as well as local neotectonic and associated sedimentary processes.The internal structure of the rift shows intense tectonic subsidenceresulting in enlargement and deepening of the basins whose bot-toms include low-lying accumulative plains and lake systemssubject to deposition and burial by younger sediments(Shchetnikov et al., 2012). The rate of tectonic subsidence of theTunka rift basin is exemplified by the occurrence of late Holocene

artifacts, namely remains of wooden structures built with an ironaxe, found at a depth of more than 12 m beneath alluvium on a lowfloodplain (L'vov, 1924). However, active tectonic development ofthe Tunka rift in particular areas is complicated by local uplifts andlinear erosion and exhumation of pre-Holocene sediments, occur-ring against the backdrop of general subsidence of basement blocks(Ufimtsev et al., 2003, 2009; Shchetnikov, 2008). Such invertedparts of the Tunka rift, where basin accumulation processeschanged to denudation, occur primarily along basin margins wherethey intersect with the foothills of the Khamar-Daban Range andinter-basin spurs.

The majority of the Palaeolithic sites which have been identifiedin the Tunka valley occur within one of these locally uplifted areas,near the antecedent valley (i.e., narrow river gap) of the Irkut Riverand Elovskii spur (Fig. 1): cross-section of Slavin Yar, locality ofShabartai, near the settlement of Zaktui and the cross-section ofZaktui Ovrag, and the newly discovered site at Tuyana. These sitesare all situated on the right bank of the Irkut River along the lowerslopes of Barashek Mountain, which rises above the antecedentvalley from the Khamar-Daban and forms the distinctiveorographic center of the local area. The relatively high concentra-tion of sites in the area is attributed to the narrowing of this part ofthe Tunka valley, which offered both a commanding view of thesurrounding landscape and acted as a ‘bottleneck’ for migratinggame, thus making the area a potentially rich hunting ground forPalaeolithic groups of hunter-gatherers. A geomorphologicallysimilar complex of Palaeolithic sites occurs further upstream nearthe confluences of the Bol'shoi and Malyi Zangisan rivers with theIrkut River, where they intersect the conjunction zone between theKhamar-Daban Range and Nilovskii spur which separate the Turanand Tunka basins (Fig. 1).

3. Palaeolithic sites of the Tunka rift valley

3.1. Bol'shoi Zangisan

The first stratified Upper Palaeolithic site identified in the Tunkavalley, known as Bol'shoi Zangisan, was discovered during excava-tions from 1983 to 1986 by a team from Irkutsk State University ledby A.B. Fedorenko, the results of which were published only inshort conference abstract form (Fedorenko, 1985, 1987; Lbova et al.,2005). The site is located at the base of the Nilovskii inter-basinhigh on the left bank of the estuary of the river of the samename. The Bol'shoi and Malyi Zangisan rivers flow from theKhamar-Daban Range and join the Irkut River three kilometers

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apart, where the latter river intersects the conjunction zone be-tween the Nilovskii spur and the Khamar-Daban Range. The Tunkavalley narrows and is antecedent here. Where this occurs, bothZangisans have thick alluvial fans which have merged together,forming a common front that meets the southern end of theNilovskii spur and pushes the Irkut River towards its slopes. In theexposed cross-section of the alluvial fan, the boulder-to-pebblelayer is covered by thick (up to 7 m) loessial sandy loam andloam deposits. The cross-section at the Bol'shoi Zangisan archaeo-logical site is 5.4 m thick, which is described briefly below andillustrated in Fig. 2.

Layer 1: recent turf-soil horizon, 0.1e0.15 m thick; lowerboundary distinct and wavy.Layer 2: loessial sandy loams, 0.2 m thick; brownish, humus-rich with abundant holes of the current root system; lowerboundary distinct and gently undulating.Layer 3: loessial sandy loams, 1.7e1.8 m thick; light-gray, car-bonate-rich, columnar structure; lower boundary indistinct andgradual.Layer 4: loessial sandy loams and loams, 2.4e2.6m thick; gray tobluish-gray, ferruginized (more intense in the lower part in theform of indistinctly laminated brown and rust-colored stains);lower boundary irregular, distinct and wavy.

Fig. 2. Bol'shoi Zangisan. Contour map and

Layer 5a: loams, 0.2 m thick; bluish-gray, indistinctly laminated,intensely ferruginized, light-to-intermediate in composition;sediments are the products of erosion and redeposition of apedocomplex; border with underlying horizon is distinct andclearly marks the boundary of erosion; an archaeologicalhorizon.Layer 5b: light loams, 0.4 m thick; brown to blue, humus-richwith ferruginization; numerous inclusions of small charcoalfragments; humus-rich interlayers of black loam with interme-diate composition confined to the middle and lower parts of thelayer; lower boundary irregular and distinct; an archaeologicalhorizon.Layer 5c: sandy loams, 0.2e0.25 m thick; light-brown, humuscontent increases toward the lower part of the layer; cry-oturbated with a horizontal pseudomorph filled with thin-layers of bluish loams, the lower part of which is micro-laminated (intercalation of thin layers of sandy loams andhumus-rich loams); lower boundary distinct and gently undu-lating; an archaeological horizon.Layer 6: light loams, grayish-blue, greater than 0.2 m apparentthickness.

In general, the upper part of the Bol'shoi Zangisan cross-sectionis represented by bleached and carbonate-rich loessial sandy

litho-stratigraphic column of the site.

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loams. The sediments become coarser towards the base of thesectionwhere the sandy loams change gradually to bluish-gray andlight-brown ferruginized loams with poorly defined undulatinglaminations. These lower blanket deposits also reveal the cryo-genically altered humus-rich Karginskii pedocomplex (associatedwith the warmest phase of MIS3 dated to ~35e45 ka BP) with ice-wedge and vein pseudomorphs whose excavation by A.B. Fedor-enko yielded the fossils remains of Equus sp., Coelodonta anti-quitatis, Cervus elaphus, Spirocerus kiakhtensis, and Procapragutturosa in association with Palaeolithic stone artifacts. The boneof S. kiakhtensis recovered in 1983 was recently AMS 14C dated,yielding an age of 32,570 ± 340 BP (OxA-19193), and a fragment ofan indeterminable long bone of a large hoofed animal found in thepaleosoil layer yielded AMS 14C ages of 34,800 ± 600 (OxA-22518)and 34,300 ± 550 BP (OxA-22519) (Shchetnikov et al., 2012). Thesedates, obtained using ultrafiltration protocols (Higham et al., 2006),support the conclusion originally based on palynological data(Lbova et al., 2006) of a Karginskii age for the buried soil horizonand associated artifacts. Identification of small mammals from thispedocomplex also indicates the presence of Spermophilus undu-latus, Lasiopodomys brandti and Microtus gregalis (Khenzykhenova,1996, 2008).

The archaeological materials recovered at Bol'shoi Zangisanwere found during excavation of several test pits (Fig. 3). In additionto techno-forms and methods of core production, represented bymassive choppers and radial and parallel knapping typical for Up-per Pleistocene sites in Pribaikal'e (Medvedev, 1990), includingcortex flakes and dihedral and trihedral blades, the lithic industryclearly shows edge-faceted microblade production, a technologymade possible by the locally available high-quality flint andmicroquartzite found among the river gravels. The industry isdominated by prepared flat faceted striking platforms with veryfew triangular cross-sectioned cortical flakes (‘citrus slices’ inRussian sources) typical of the Karginskii interstadial (MIS3) inSouth Pribaikal'e. Microlithization in the recovered materials isrepresented not only by individual artifacts but in a complicatedsequence of technical actions from wedge-shaped microcores tofaceted and retouched microblades, including those with small-faceted marginal retouch e micropoints and borers.

Fig. 3. Lithic artifacts from the archaeological horizon (Layer 5) at Bol'shoi Zangisan.1e4 microblades, 5 e micropoint, 6 e micro-borer, 7e15 e microliths, 16e17 e endscraper on a flake, 18 e end scraper on a blade, 19e20 e edge-faceted core, 21 e targetflake, 22 e bifacial core, 23 e micro-borer.

3.2. Slavin Yar

The outcrop of Slavin Yar was discovered and first described in2007 (Shchetnikov et al., 2009) and is recognized as a referencesection of the Upper Cenozoic in the Tunka valley. The site is locatedin the Tora Basin of the Tunka rift on the left bank of the Zun-MurinRiver, ~11 km from its confluence with the Irkut River (Fig. 4). Thethickness of composing alluvial sediments reaches up to 30 mwhich span more than 1 km along the outcrop. As a detaileddescription of the sedimentary sequence has already been pub-lished (Shchetnikov et al., 2009, 2012), here we provide only a briefoverview of the litho-stratigraphic column illustrated in Fig. 4A.

The local crystalline bedrock is overlain by Upper Plioceneochreous boulder-pebble conglomerates of the Anosov suite withoverlying Upper Pleistocene gray-colored poorly sorted boulder-pebble deposits. They in turn are overlain by a ~20 m thicksequence of predominantly light-brown alluvial sands that containmany flora and fauna fossils, including several humus-rich buriedsoil horizons. Late Pleistocene faunal remains include mammoth(Mammuthus primigenius), bear (Ursus sp.), woolly rhinoceros (C.antiguitatis), horse (Equus sp.), red deer (C. elaphus), roe deer(Capreolus sp.) and zeren (P. gutturosa). Charcoal samples collectedfrom the upper part of the buried pedocomplex at a depth of 8 mand from another buried soil horizon at a depth of 11 mwere dated

to 37,790 ± 310 14C BP (TO-13278) and 45,810 ± 4070 14C BP (IGAN-3133), respectively (Shchetnikov et al., 2012).

While the site has currently yielded very limited archaeologicalevidence, nonetheless a uniface scraper (Figs. 4B, 1) made on a thincortical flake of a white quartz-vein pebble was found in floodplainsands at a depth of 10.9 m, i.e. directly above the buried soil horizondated to ~45 ka 14C BP. The front side of the artifact reveals a seriesof centripetal flake removals with evidence of polishing. The pe-ripheral parts, in contrast, show some minor flaking that is prob-ably due to post-depositional processes of reworking of the artifactwithin the alluvial matrix.

In addition, remains identified as a humerus of fossil horse(Equus sp.) were found in the sedimentary section at a depth of19 m (Figs. 4B, 2). The bone is relatively small (width/diameter ofthe lower epiphysis is 69.9/35.3 mm) and the diaphysis is fractured

Fig. 4. Slavin Yar. A e Location and litho-stratigraphic columns from cross-section. 1 e sandy loam; 2e3 e inequigranular (2) and coarse (3) sands with elements of riverbed cross-bedding; 4 e gravel with fine pebbles; 5 e boulder-pebble beds; 6 e boulder-pebble conglomerates; 7 e soil horizons; 8 e concentration of wood charcoal; 9 e detrital organicremains; 10 e concentrations of mollusc shells; 11 e large wood fragments; 12 e location of dating samples. B e archaeological material: 1 e a high-profile scraper made fromwhitequartz-vein; 2 e a flaked humerus of Equus sp.

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with the upper portion absent. The compact radial fractures in thediaphyseal bone tissue could only result from strong intentionalblows. The edges of the bone also show a series of at least eightflake removals across the perimeter. This is potentially the oldestmanifestation of human activity within the Tunka valley, suggest-ing the local presence of archaeological sites dating to the Muruktaperiod (MIS4), or perhaps even earlier. Based on these preliminarydata, the cross-section of Slavin Yar holds great potential for futuregeological, palaeontological and archaeological investigation.

3.3. Tuyana

Tuyana is a recently discovered stratified archaeological sitelocated near the eastern margin of the Tunka basin on the elevatedright bank of the Irkut River (Fig. 5). The site is situated where theIrkut River enters an antecedent valley which cuts the conjunctionzone of the Khamar-Daban Range and Elovskii spur that separatesthe Tunka and Tora basins. The foot of the Khamar-Daban forms thesouthern border of this antecedent valley. The macroslope of thefoothill is cut by a series of small tributary valleys running down tothe Irkut River. The archaeological site is located near the mouth ofthe crescent-shaped Chasha tributary and faces to the north-northwest, protected from east winds originating from Lake Bai-kal that dominate the Tunka rift valley. The strategic location of thesite, elevated above a narrow gorge of the Irkut River, provides acommanding view of the landscape corridor which joins two largeinter-basin depressions within the valley.

Archaeological materials from this site were first discovered in2011 during stratigraphic studies of a roadside quarry outcrop.Subsequently, numerous lithic artifacts and well-preserved faunalremains were found both in situ during excavation of a 6 m2 area ofthe site and from exposed surface debris of the quarry walls.Stratigraphic formations are represented by two main units e

weathered saprolitized gneiss-granites between 3 and 5 m thickand an overlying Late Quaternary member of indistinctly laminatedsandy loams and loams of slope genesis capped by Holocenepedogenic development. The average thickness of the unconsoli-dated deposits is 0.5e2 m. A preliminary description of site stra-tigraphy is briefly outlined below and illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6A.

Layer 1: recent turf-soil horizon, 0.1e0.2 m thick.Layer 2: brownish-gray sandy loams, 0.2e0.4 m thick; organic-rich with numerous roots; lower boundary distinct and wavy;technogenic sediments.Layer 3: soil horizon (Holocene), humus-rich sandy loams,0.05e0.1 m thick; brownish in color, disturbed in places by themodern root system; lower boundary irregular.Layer 4: buried soil complex, sandy loams, up to 0.4 m thick;bluish-gray to brownish in color; intercalated contorted driftsequence; lower boundary irregular, distinct and wavy.Layer 5: sandy loams and fine-grained sands, up to 0.4 m thick;thin lenses of decomposed organic materials; deposits nearlyfree of exogenic inorganic inclusions (e.g., parent rock decom-position); limited organic inclusions such as charcoal and faunalremains; lower boundary distinct and wavy.Layer 6: laminated (uppermost part) sandy loams and consertalsands, up to 0.3 m thick; gray to yellow in color with a discon-tinuous paleosoil; inclusions of different-size coarse fractions(up to 30 cm in diameter); in the lower part of the layer there is athin (2e5 cm) sandy soil horizon with gruss, gray to rust-colored, with the largest concentration of faunal remains andartifacts; lower boundary clearly definedwith cryoturbated veincontours; an archaeological horizon.Layer 6a: ice-wedge pseudomorphs, represented by alternatingstrata of sand, sandy loam and thin lenses of decomposed

organic materials; includes few faunal remains and individualartifacts; lower boundary distinct, sharp and often pocket-shaped; an archaeological horizon.Layer 7: weathering crust represented by saprolotized granite-gneisses and vein-quartz fragments; surface is eroded and un-conformably overlain by Layer 6; excavated thickness up to0.7e0.8 m, however the apparent thickness of this unit innearby exposed quarry walls is 2e3 m.

While only a small part of the Tuyana site has been excavated sofar, for the most part, the archaeological and faunal remainsrecovered to date have been preserved in a small buried hollownear the top of the weathering crust. Most of these objects occur inLayer 6 with the largest concentration occurring in a sandy levelwith gruss near the base of this unit. All of the sediments overlyingLayer 6 have yet to yield artifacts. The relatively limited thickness ofthe unconsolidated sedimentary deposits covering the investigatedarea is generally due to the geomorphological structure of this partof the slope along which a significant portion of loessial sedimentsdating to the Sartanian period (MIS2) appear to have been remo-bilized and/or transported downward towards the Irkut River.

Preliminary investigation of the recovered palaeontologicalmaterial has made it possible to identify some interesting charac-teristics of the assemblage. The samples are generally well-preserved, dense and often black-colored due to manganesestaining, implying relatively rapid burial following deposition.Some of the bone fragments also bear evidence of intentionalflaking and use by early humans who inhabited the site. The ratio ofidentifiable to unidentifiable bone elements is 1:9. In total, ninespecies of large mammals have been identified at the site so far,including manul (Felis manul) - first known Pleistocene occurrencein Pribaikal'e, cave lion (Panthera spelaea), sable (Martes zibellina),horse (Equus sp.), woolly rhinoceros (C. antiquitatis), musk deer(Moschus moschiferus) - first known Pleistocene occurrence in Pri-baikal'e, roe deer (Capreolus pygargus), red deer (C. elaphus), andbison (Bison/Bos sp.), along with several species of birds andnumerous microfauna. Well-preserved bone fragments from fourlarge mammals excavated from Layer 6 among lithic artifactsyielded ultrafiltered AMS radiocarbon ages of 26,350 ± 240 14C BP(OxA-29219), 26,700 ± 250 14C BP (OxA-29221),29,930 ± 350 14C BP (OxA-29220), and 35,900 ± 750 14C BP (OxA-25896).

The diversity of large mammal species at the site is exceptionaland an assemblage with this level of preservation and representa-tion over such a limited excavated area has never previously beenfound in Pleistocene sediments in Siberia. The identified speciesindicate the existence of mosaic landscapes in the Tunka valleydominated by steppe conditions during the time of human occu-pation. Musk deer and sable, species commonly associated withtaiga, appear to have expanded their range into this area during theKarginskii warming interval. More detailed study of the recoveredpalaeontological remains from Tuyana is currently underway.

Of the archaeological materials recovered during excavations atthe site from 2011 to 2012 (10 m2), 96 lithic and at least 2 boneartifacts have been identified, along with more than 1000 palae-ontological specimens from large mammals. The lithic assemblageis represented by artifacts made from different size quartz andgranite nodules (N ¼ 16), a quartz side-scraper (N ¼ 1), differentsize quartzite and quartz cortex flakes (N ¼ 25), a radially-knappedquartzite bifrontal core (N ¼ 1), flint flakes with evidence of usewear/retouch along the edges (N ¼ 2), flint end scrapers (N ¼ 2), aflint carinated end scraper (N¼ 1), wedge-shapedmicrocoresmadeof flint and rauchtopaz (N ¼ 3), blade and microblade fragments(N ¼ 5), and retouch waste products (N ¼ 37) (see examples inFig. 6B). More detailed study of the lithic materials, including

Fig. 5. Tuyana. Location and general view of the site and excavation cross-section.

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Fig. 6. Tuyana. A e Litho-stratigraphic profile of the archaeological excavation. B e examples of key archaeological material: 1 e biface, 2 e wedge-shaped microcore, Yubetsu type, 3e4 e typical end scrapers, 5 e scraper on a flake, 6 e

end scraper-burin, 7 e carinated end scraper.

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important findings from excavations completed in 2013, iscurrently in progress. Based on the preliminary data, the Tuyanalithic assemblage can be characterized by the presence of macro-forms (heavy-duty tools) made from rounded pebbles and quartz,quartzite and granite nodules along with flakes and specific tooltypes and a developed microlithic technology, including a Yubetsu-type microcore and microblades. The AMS radiocarbon date of~36 ka 14C BP in direct association with archaeological materialsuggests that the earliest human presence at the site can betentatively assigned to the latter part of the Karginskii interstadial(MIS3).

4. Conclusions

Recent archaeological research at the early Upper Palaeolithicsites of Tuyana and Bol'shoi Zangisan has demonstrated the pres-ence of a developed microlithic industry in the Tunka rift valleydating between ~26 and 36 ka 14C BP, representing among theoldest known occurrences of this lithic technology in North Asia.Although additional geoarchaeological and chronological data arestill needed to verify the reconstructed temporal frameworks,preliminary results indicate that microcore-microblade productionemerged in the Tunka area during the late Karginskii interstadial(MIS3). During excavations at Bol'shoi Zangisan in the 1980s,different suggestions were made about the age of the recoveredarchaeological materials, despite the fact that most of the artifactsgenerally corresponded to the host sediments assigned to theKarginskii interstadial. At that time, no evidence had been found inthe broader region of microlithic industries older than the lastglacial maximum (MIS2, also called the Sartanian glaciation inSiberia). Even the artifacts from the lower archaeological horizonsat sites of the Kurlinskii complex in North Baikal, which repre-sented serially a peculiar type of microblade production dating to24,060 ± 5700 14C BP (SОАN-1397) (Endrikhinskii et al., 1978;Shmygun and Endrikhinskii, 1978), stirred debate and raiseddoubts. More recently, a number of other sites in southeastern EastSiberia featuring microlithic technology dating to the Late Pleisto-cene have been identified (Lbova et al., 2003; Tashak, 2007;Aksenov, 2009), a few of which are even reported to be olderthan the Karginskii period (Lipnina andMedvedev,1991;Medvedevet al., 2004). However, other researchers have argued that micro-blade industries spread into this region only after the last glacialmaximum (after ca. 20 ka BP) (Goebel et al., 2000; Goebel, 2002).

While the origins and development of microlithic technology inSiberia remain controversial and at a relatively early stage ofresearch (Derevianko, 1998; Derevianko et al., 1998; Goebel et al.,2000; Goebel, 2002; Kato et al., 2004; Kuzmin and Keates, 2005;Kuzmin, 2007a, 2007b; Tabarev, 2008; Graf, 2009), preliminaryevidence from Tuyana and Bol'shoi Zangisan indicates that the siteshold great potential for advancing our understanding of this sub-ject, as well as the archaeological contexts of early human settle-ment in the Lake Baikal area in general. Future research may alsoallow us to address important questions related to the chrono-cultural relationships of the early Upper Palaeolithic of the Baikalregion to that of Mongolia (Gladyshev et al., 2012), the Altai(Derevianko and Shunkov, 2004; Zwyns et al., 2012) and EasternEurope (Sinitsyn, 2010; Svendsen et al., 2010; Hoffecker, 2011).

Evidence from the Tuyana site also includes abundant anddiverse faunal remains, including those modified through anthro-pogenic use, which provide insights into the palaeo-climate/environmental conditions during the relevant period of humanoccupation. More detailed study of the Tuyana lithic artifacts andpalaeontological material, including important findings from ex-cavations completed in 2013, is currently underway and newinterdisciplinary fieldwork at the site is planned for 2014 and

beyond. This collaborative work will also include a new program oflake coring in the Tunka rift valley in order to obtain local high-resolution multi-proxy palaeoenvironmental change data span-ning MIS3. Integration of these results will allow us to better assessthe relationship between long-term climate dynamics and coevalpatterns of hominin dispersal, settlement and adaptation in theTunka-Baikal region.

Acknowledgements

This research was made possible through the support of theRussian Science Foundation (14-37-00002). We thank AlexanderSizov, Fedora Khenzykhenova and Elena Semenei who participatedin fieldwork and for their productive discussions and assistancewith this paper, and the friendly support of themany archaeologistsand students who assisted with excavations. Thanks also to AdrianLister and Tony Stewart for their collaboration in dating the site ofBol'shoi Zangisan and who also included several of the faunaspecimens recovered from our work in their on-going study ofPleistocene megafauna extinctions in Eurasia. We also extend ourthanks to Tatiana Leshkevich who translated parts of an early draftof this paper from Russian into English and to Pavel Tarasov andtwo anonymous reviewers for their comments on this paper.

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