New Chronological Data on the South-Eastern Assemblage of the Paleolithic Site Podzvonkaya (Western Transbaikalia)

The article presents the results of the chronological investigations of the South-Eastern Assemblage (SEA) of Podzvonkaya site. Podzvonkaya is a key site for the Paleolithic research in Western Transbaikalia, it includes four assemblages. SEC yielded a series of sequentially embedded cultural horizons in two lithological layers (4th and 5th horizons). A series of radiocarbon dates (LSC and AMS) were obtained for cultural layers located at different levels. One half of them were made in the late 1990s, the other quite recently. Dates obtained by liquid scintillation give a large error, in addition, such dates obtained more recently show a much older age. The AMS and LSC dates obtained recently are generally consistent with each other, and due to a small error in the original data, the calibrated AMS dates fall within the short one-thousandth period from 42 to 43 ka cal BP. From our point of view, the most correct dates are those obtained recently, and SEA represents an area that was periodically inhabited within a relatively short period. SEA stone industry characterized by the production of large blades and tools made from them. In general, the archaeological materials of this assemblage are largely similar to the stone industry of the sites of the Tolbaga culture (Tolbaga, Kamenka A, Khotyk, level 3, etc.). A series of radiocarbon dates was obtained for the Tolbaga Upper Paleolithic assemblage, which together reflects three stages of occupation of the Tolbaga site from the Initial Upper Paleolithic to the middle stage of Upper Paleolithic. Radiocarbon dates of Kamenka A site are represented in a denser group; its archaeological materials are contained in a compact culture-bearing layer. Calibrated AMS dates of Kamenka A show a period of 40–45 cal BP. According to the chronology, South-Eastern Assemblage of Podzvonkaya site is well correlated with the assemblage of Paleolithic site Kamenka A, which presents materials of Initial Upper Paleolithic. Podzvonkaya SEC and Kamenka A could coexist in the period of 42–43 ka cal BP. In general, according to the chronology and characteristics of the stone industry, South-Eastern Assemblage of Podzvonskaya belongs to the Initial Upper Paleolithic

Archaeology · Geography · Middle Paleolithic · Pleistocene · Radiocarbon dating · Stone tool · Upper Paleolithic · Archaeology and ancient environmental studies · Geology and Paleoclimatology Research · Pleistocene-Era Hominins and Archaeology · Geology · Paleontology

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