Initial Results of an Analysis of Raw-Material Units from the Early Upper Paleolithic Assemblage at the Tuyana Site in the Tunka Valley, Southwestern Cis-Baikal

This article presents the first results of an analysis of raw-material units from the Early Upper Paleolithic assemblage at the Tuyana site in the Tunka Valley (southwestern Cis-Baikal). The assemblage is dated to ~34–30 ka cal BP and is notable for the discovery of anatomically modern human remains associated with an Early Upper Paleolithic carinated industry. Because these cultural remains were redeposited in ancient times, the issue of technological differentiation within the assemblage is particularly important. This study aims to analyze 28 artifacts made of chert and siliceous shale using petrographic characterization, portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF) analysis, and identification of spatial patterns in the distribution of raw-material units. The study sample consists primarily of end-scrapers, burins, and blades (mostly retouched items, including a knife-like tool), as well as points on flakes. It also includes a sidescraper, a core preform, and one twisted bladelet. The pXRF data, processed using multivariate statistical methods, show a strong correlation with the results of petrographic analysis. Hierarchical cluster analysis yielded particularly interesting results. Eight raw-material groups were identified, each comprising two to five artifacts. Only one sample (a point on a flake) showed no association with any of the artifacts. Spatial associations among the artifacts were also identified. These data demonstrate the technological unity of the different areas in which archaeological material was concentrated. It is emphasized that chert and siliceous shale (which belong to the category of slightly clayey and clayey silicites) have considerable potential for revealing technological relationships, as they contain a sufficient range of chemical elements suitable for such reconstructions. Further research will expand our understanding of raw-material use patterns in the Early Upper Paleolithic industry at the Tuyana site.

anatomically modern humans · bladelets · burins · chert · Cis-Baikal · Early Upper Paleolithic · end scraper · Lithic technology · petrographic characterization · portable X-ray fluorescence · siliceous shale · silicites · spatial distribution of artifacts · technological differentiation · Tunka Valley · Archaeological and Geological Studies · Cultural Heritage Materials Analysis · Pleistocene-Era Hominins and Archaeology