New Data on the Archaeology of the Usolye-Sibirskoye Town and Usolye District of the Irkutsk Region

This article presents the results of research conducted in 2024 in Usolye-Sibirskoye town and the Usolye District of the Irkutsk Region to clarify the boundaries and information about sites of archaeological heritage (SAH). This territory is a main research area, home to dozens of key sites that have become foundational for the study of vari ous archaeological periods (beginning with the Upper Paleolithic) in the Southern Angara region and Baikal-Yenisei Siberia as a whole. A total of 40 sites were surveyed, examining Pleistocene and Holocene deposits and identifying new archaeological assemblages, which made it possible to clarify or change the protected status of the sites. Over 200 test pits were dug, revealing 6,722 finds, dating from a wide range from the Stone Age to the period of the Russian settlement of Siberia. It has been established that the most informative and promising sites for future excavations of Stone Age sites are those in the area of the road bridge on the right bank of the Belaya River and near the village of Badai. In the former case (sites Malta-most 1, Malta-most 2, Strelka), the presence of informative assemblages, dating primarily to the Middle and Late stages of Upper Paleolithic, has been confirmed. A unique find is a single item on a chert flake, carefully worked on both sides, which can be interpreted as a zoomorphic image. Based on stratigraphic data, its age can be associated with the Late stage of Upper Paleolithic. Other sites, such as Badai 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and Badai (village), are important for the study of assemblages from the Late Upper Paleolithic and Mesolithic, as well as the modern period (the old village of Badai). In this regard, the sites in the Telma cemetery area on the Angara River (Telma 1–3, 5) are also of interest. The most significant discovery was the finding of a site of the first Russian settlers on Krasnyi Island opposite the town of Usolye-Sibirskoye. Remains of a cultural layer associated with the village of Mikhalevo and an 18th-century Orthodox cemetery were uncovered here. A hoard of silver coins (285 pieces) was found on the cemetery grounds. These coins were minted during various periods of the Romanov dynasty's reign, from Mikhail Fedorovich to Peter the Great (17th – early 18th centuries). New materials and data obtained during the 2024 archaeological survey significantly expanded the source base for the Stone Age (primarily the Paleolithic) and the period of Russian settlement in Siberia. This provides an opportunity to reassess the prospects for archaeological research in the Usolye District and identify suitable sites for future excavations

Excavation · Holocene · Pleistocene · Stone Age · Ancient and Medieval Archaeology Studies