Mongolian “Neolithic” and Early Bronze Age ground stone tools from the northern edge of the Gobi Desert

Abstract

Abstract:The transition from the Mongolian Neolithic to the Bronze Age is not well understood. Within Ikh Nart Nature Reserve, over a period of five years, we identified a number of sites with dense surface artefact scatters and features that seem to represent this transition period. Evident in those concentrations are characteristic microblade cores, microblades, "thumbnail" flake scrapers, projectile points, ground stone tools, and stone features of unknown function. Between 2012 and 2014 we collected ground stone artefacts from four sites and sediment samples from three sites. With permission of Mongolian authorities, the artefacts from one site and sediment samples from three sites were sent for botanical analyses to the University of Texas, Austin, Environmental Archaeology Laboratory. Preliminary results indicate that plant remains are present on the ground stone artefacts: dendritic long-cells from a deep pore of one artefact and starch grains from the pores of six of the seven artefacts. These data present the first opportunity to understand what resources "Neolithic" people were processing with ground stone tools in this area and further our opportunity to better understand the little-known "Neolithic"-Early Bronze Age transition period in Central Asia. This paper describes the ground stone artefacts and further explores the results of data retrieved from some of these artefacts.

Resilience at the Edge: Strategies of Small-Scale Societies for Long-Term Sustainable Living in Dryland Environments

“…These are a series of valleys, many trending north/south, that form belts of springs leading from the lusher steppe zones north towards central Mongolia, to the wetlands and marsh zones fringing the former Paleolake beds of the Mongolian Gobi Desert. Examples of sites along these kinds of corridors were studied by Holguin and Sternberg (2018), Holguín (2019) in the region of Ulaan Nuur, and by Rosen and others at the Ikh Nart Nature Reserve (Schneider et al 2016;Rosen et al 2019). The foragers living in these regions reduced their subsistence risk by taking advantage of the mosaic of micro-environments associated with these extensive linear palaeohydrological systems.…”

Prehistoric Mongolian Archaeology in the Early 21st Century: Developments in the Steppe and Beyond

“…Dates from the several large hearths and the discovery of grass bedding in the excavation suggest that the cave provided winter shelter for small groups of people who made and used microlithic compound tools. Open-air and excavated scatters of microlithic debitage and tools at Ikh Nartiin Chuluu also contained ground stones that have yielded unidentified starches and other plant remains (Schneider et al 2016). Excavations at the open-air site of Zara Uul, located in a sheltered area of hills between two lake basins, have yielded chipped stone debitage and tools, 'net-impressed' ceramics, fauna, and chipped stone adzes with signs of polishing on their edges dating to 7800-5900 years ago (Janz et al 2017;Odsuren et al 2015).…”

Untitled

“…More formal social science research included a major archaeological project (Tserendagva et al, , 2015Schneider et al, In press), studies focused on local people's values and attitudes towards Ikh Nart, its species and conservation (Davie et al, 2014a;Sarmento & Reading 2016), and work to assess the effectiveness of our education and outreach programmes (see below). Informally, the project team evaluated the structures of local communities; power and authority relationships between key stakeholders and different levels of government (bag 1 , soum, aimag and national); and the distribution of resources, including wealth, knowledge and expertise.…”