Analysis and dating of new Upper Palaeolithic sites suggest that microblades emerged in the Transbaikal after 18,000 years ago. These findings encourage review of earlier assertions that such technologies developed in northeast Asia prior to the last glacial maximum.

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In 1998, geoarchaeological research was carried out at the Upper Paleolithic site of Studenoe in the Transbaikal Region of Russia. The site is divided into three loci situated on two terraces overlooking the Chikoi River. Alluvial sediments beneath the oldest terrace (T 2 ) consist of two depositional units. Radiocarbon ages indicate that aggradation of the T 2 fill began before 18,000 yr B.P. Alluvial sediments beneath the lower terrace (T 1 ) range in age from 13,000 to 10,000 yr B.P. and are divided into three depositional units. Both terraces are overlain by Holocene colluvium. Archaeological materials at Studenoe 1/1, 1/2, and 2 include dwellings, hearths, and thousands of bone and stone artifacts assigned to the late Upper Paleolithic through the Bronze Age. Evidence of microblade technology is present in all components of the site. Material from recent excavations of Paleolithic levels in the T 2 fill at Studenoe includes mobiliary art, bone needles, and a large dwelling with four hearth features. ᭧

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Stone tool reduction intensity and raw material availability have often been correlated with human organizational strategies. Assemblages from Early, Middle, and Late Upper Paleolithic sites in the Transbaikal region of Siberia were compared and assessed for retouch amount using several techniques. These studies reveal that stone tool functional requirements play an important role in the amount and intensity of retouch in the region. It is also shown that artifact function correlates with raw material selection, where certain kinds of activities, such as scraping, are most effectively accomplished with specific raw material characteristics. Human organizational patterns in the Transbaikal region are only evident when these factors are considered in assessing retouch measures.Lithic Materials and Paleolithic Societies Edited by Brian Adams and Brooke S. Blades