Variation in Middle and Upper Paleolithic Techniques of Lithic Reduction at Kara-Bom, the Altai Mountains: Refitting Studies

Kara-Bom: new investigations of a Palaeolithic site in the Gorny Altai, Russia

“…The lithic techno-complexes of this site are considered as a reference point for the technological characteristics of the Kara-Bomian Initial Upper Palaeolithic cultural tradition of the Altai region (Derevianko et al 2000). Recent studies have investigated raw material procurement and knapping technologies, and have also reconstructed the spatial and stratigraphic structure of Kara-Bom (Belousova & Rybin 2013;Slavinsky et al 2016). The results of this work can be used to address questions concerning Middle to Upper Palaeolithic continuity in Northern Asia.…”

“…The results of new investigations at the Kara-Bom site complement and expand our understanding of the dissemination of Initial Upper Palaeolithic populations in Central and Northern Asia. Contemporaneous industries have been reported from other Eurasian regions, including the Middle East, Central and Eastern Europe, the Lake Baikal area, east Kazakhstan, Mongolia, and Dzungaria and Ordos in northern China (Rybin 2014;Slavinsky et al 2016Slavinsky et al , 2017. In Siberia, the earliest Initial Upper Palaeolithic industries are reported from the Gorny Altai region: at the sites of Kara-Bom, Ust-Karakol-1 (excavation area 1) and Kara-Tenesh, and also at the Maloyalomanskaya and Strashnaya Caves.…”

“…There are several Palaeolithic cultural horizons within the stratified part of the Kara-Bom site in excavation area 4. These comprise Middle Palaeolithic 1 and Middle Palaeolithic 2 (the Middle Palaeolithic, 62 200-72 300 BP); Upper Palaeolithic 2 (the Initial Upper Palaeolithic, 43 000 14 C BP); and Upper Palaeolithic 1 (the Early Upper Palaeolithic 30 000-34 000 14 C BP) (Slavinsky et al 2016).…”

“…Recent studies have investigated raw material procurement and knapping technologies, and have also reconstructed the spatial and stratigraphic structure of Kara-Bom (Belousova & Rybin 2013; Slavinsky et al . 2016). The results of this work can be used to address questions concerning Middle to Upper Palaeolithic continuity in Northern Asia.…”

“…These comprise Middle Palaeolithic 1 and Middle Palaeolithic 2 (the Middle Palaeolithic, 62200–72300 BP); Upper Palaeolithic 2 (the Initial Upper Palaeolithic, 43000 14 C BP); and Upper Palaeolithic 1 (the Early Upper Palaeolithic 30000–34000 14 C BP) (Slavinsky et al . 2016).

Figure 1. Location of key Middle and Upper Palaeolithic sites of Gorny Altai.

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