The Khovaling Loess Plateau as a window into Early Paleolithic human–environment interactions in Central Asia
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 19228727 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Aljasil Chirakkal (0000-0002-7732-9694, University of Oslo, corresponding author), A А Anoikin (0000-0003-2383-2259, Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography), R Kurbanov (0000-0001-6727-6202, Lomonosov Moscow State University), Petr Sosin (Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Tajikistan), David K Wright (0000-0003-1704-0423, University of Oslo) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 4 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Pages | 100101-100101 |
| Publication date | 2026-03-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Quaternary Environments and Humans (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2950-2365 • E-ISSN: 2950-2365 |
| Publisher | Elsevier BV (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1016/j.qeh.2026.100101 |
| OpenAlex | W7134929668 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 22 |
Loess–paleosol sequences in southern Tajikistan offer a valuable yet underexplored archive for reconstructing early human–environment interactions across Central Asia. Building on our previous investigations of geochemical and sedimentary proxies, here we make an overview based on lipid biomarkers, bulk stable isotopes, and archaeological data from multiple localities of the Khovaling loess plateau on understanding ecological and anthropogenic signals spanning the Early Paleolithic. Our combined geochemical and archaeological data reveal repeated fire use, vegetation modification, and strategic occupation of ecotonal river valley environments by early humans dating back more than 500 ka. Notably, variations in lipid biomarker and bulk isotopic signatures across the studied loess sites in the vicinity of Obi-Mazar River underscore the spatial complexity of land-use strategies and highlight the ecological flexibility of Early Paleolithic populations. These findings position the Khovaling loess plateau as a key region for understanding long-term human adaptability and environmental shaping during early human dispersal through Central Asia
Central asia · Loess · Loess plateau · Plateau (mathematics) · Window (computing) · Evolution and Paleontology Studies · Pleistocene-Era Hominins and Archaeology · Primate Behavior and Ecology
Structure and properties of paleosols of the last two interglacial cycles of the Khovaling Loess Plateau, Tajikistan (Obi–Mazar section)
Climate and Human Evolution
Plant wax biomarkers in human evolutionary studies
Lakhuti-IV – A new site of the early Palaeolithic in Central Asia (Tajikistan)
Occurrence and distribution of biomarkers in loess-paleosol sequences of Tajikistan (Central Asia)
Ushbulak—A New Stratified Upper Paleolithic Site in Northeastern Kazakhstan
The Emergence of Levallois Blade Industry in the Western Foothills of Tien Shan
Soii Havzak
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |