Reports of the Laboratory of ancient technologies

9-22

Authors: Peskov Sergey A. , Klementev Alexey M. , Molchanov Dmitry N. , Sterkhova Inga V. , Molchanov Grigory N.

This paper presents the preliminary results of studies of the Paleolithic site “Vesna”, which was observed in 2017 in the western part of Kuda village, situated in Irkutsk region. The site is determined by the position on the slope surface of the northern, north-eastern exposure with absolute marks 490–492 m, facing the wide valley of the Kuda river, and is tied to the headboard of the starboard decay. The archaeological remains recorded in solifluction dark brown loam (lower Sartan solifluction), with the presence of humus layers of the ancients (the Karga?) soils. As the main raw material for the lithic-production it was used an argillite, also there are few fine quartzite artifacts. The collection of artifacts includes flat-front cores for the blade production, blades, flake-blades, flakes, convergent side-scraper, retouched blade. The raw material composition and morphology of the industry have some similarities with the assemblages of the sites Arembovsky, Aksenova and Shchapova I. Faunal complex of site is represented by the fragments of bones of woolly rhinoceros, primeval bison and fossil horse. Cultural remains age could be preliminary defined from lower Sartan to Karga time (25–30 000 years BP).

40-53

Authors: Gurulev Dmitry A.

Stone grinded knives are a peculiar group of multicultural tools of the southern part of Middle Siberia in Holocene. There are two stable types among pieces. The first type consists of knives with one longitudinal working edge, which was widely spread in the Neolithic and Paleometal period. The second one is represented by knives with a double triangular working edge, which generally connected with the Kitoi cultural complex of the Early Neolithic. Currently on the territory of the Northern Angara region only knives of the first type were found. The characteristics and chronology of the knives are generally consistent with the materials of adjacent regions. The issue of variability and internal chronology of the northern Angara tools is currently open due to the small number of narrow interval age dates. Grinded knives have different morphometric characteristics with the stability of the general configuration, which is due, apparently, to functional reasons. Based on the available data, it can be assumed that the tools were used, first of all, for treatment of wood and other solid organic materials. The phenomenon of long life of grinded knives is interesting in terms of researching of the issues of sustainability of economic models and cultural traditions of the ancient population of Siberia.

9-19

Authors: M.V. Konstantinova, S.G. Vasilievb, E.A. Filatovc, N.O. Vikulovad, S.V. Maslodudoa

In Transbaikalia sites belonging to the end of the Lower Paleolithic, such as Sukhotino-16, are discovered. Series of very archaic items were found at Ust-Menza-6 and Ust-Menza-15. Their age is ca. 300-200 thousand years ago. The stratified sites of the Middle Paleolithic – Kovrizhka, Priiskovoe, Sukhotino-12 – are discovered. The beginning of the Upper Paleolithic is represented by a unique settlement Tolbaga with a series of dwellings. The bone sculpture of the bear’s head was found in one of them. The tools were made from large blades. A new site – Ust-Menza-14 – is being studied. Tools from flakes are typical for it. The data on the middle and late Upper Paleolithic are replenished. Numerous single- and multi-hearth dwellings are of special interest. The Mesolithic distinctly stands out. It belongs to the late glacial period (the Norilsk stage) and the beginning of the Holocene Epoch. It is characterized by a substantial change in environmental conditions and humans’ adaptation to new habitat factors. The Neolithic is presented by a series of sites, such as Studyonoe-1, Ust-Menza-1, Dvortsy, Darasun, Chindant, Aryn-Zhalga. Features of ceramics and stone production are noted. The petroglyphs of Shaman-Gora with a scene of bow hunting for wood bison are very expressive. The burials belonging to the end of the Mesolithic – the beginning of the Neolithic are dug out. Two sculptural reconstructions are executed

87-97

Authors: M.S. Kuznetsova

The article is devoted to research and the first in Russian historiography systematization of information about kofun – burial mounds of the III–VII centuries A.D, which distribute in the south and in the central part of the Japanese islands. The article considers the major aspects of kofun’s research: historical, religious, typological, social aspects and the question of kofun’s origin. The article identifies the main areas of localization of kofun and the sequence of displacement of barrow culture from one area to another. The historical development of the kofun and the change in form are described. Based on the comparative analysis, three main types of kofun were identified: square, square-round and round. It is noted that in the square-round kofun there were buried only members of the Japanese imperial house. Variants of native origin and borrowing of barrow culture from the mainland (from China, Korea and Siberia) are considered. The religious significance of the kofun is associated with the solar cult and the cult of ancestors. The clay figures of the haniwa, that surrounded the kofun, as well as the funeral implements, were studied

108-117

Authors: V.V. Ushnitsky, G.N. Varabina

The article considers the origin of the Yukaghirs in the framework of “migration” theory. At the beginning the authors deal with the historiography of the Yukaghirs’s origin issue. The authors also make an emphasis on the similarity of ethnicons “Yakut” and “Yukaghir” having the same Tungus root “Yoko”. On the basis of legends about the Yukaghirs’ “great ancestors” – migrants from the far South, the authors conclude that this ethnic group is supposed to originated from people lived in the South. First of all, this version is proved with the similarity of the Yukaghir language and the South Samoyed languages. One of self-names of the Yukaghirs – “Vakarai” – correlates with the name of the Tunguska family – Vokaray. The article presents the parallels between the Yukaghirs and Merkits (mekritams) – descendants of Mohe. The presence of Yukaghir names in the toponymy of the Transbaikal region lets us suggest that the Transbaikal territory is the ancestral homeland for the Yukaghirs. Researchers have already noted the existence in the folklore of the plot about the “great ancestors” of the Yukaghir people. The problem of the connection of this story with a single clan, for example, the vokarai, who became part of the Yukaghirs afterwards, is quite problematic. Apparently these legends are connected with the migration of the Yukaghir ancestors from the south in the Iron Age. The loss of cultural values in difficult living conditions is a controversial issue