Papers by Arina Khatsenovich
Doklady Earth Sciences, 2023
Here, we report a fragmentary Castor fiber (Linnaeus, 1758) proximal left ulna from Tsagaan Agui ... more Here, we report a fragmentary Castor fiber (Linnaeus, 1758) proximal left ulna from Tsagaan Agui Cave (Gobi Altai Mountains, southern Mongolia). This constitutes the first fossil evidence of this rodent from Mongolia. The Eurasian beaver is considered extinct in the Gobi Desert but fossilized remains recovered from cave deposits provide evidence that adequate habitat conditions for C. fiber existed in the Gobi Desert during some periods of the Pleistocene. Fossil C. fiber remains are relatively rare in neighboring regions including Siberia and the Russian Far East. Here, we also review the geographical distribution of fossil C. fiber in Central Asia, southern and eastern Siberia, and the Russian Far East.
Проблемы археологии, этнографии, антропологии Сибири и сопредельных территорий , 2022
The current volume of the annals Problems of Archaeology, Ethnography and Anthropology of Siberia... more The current volume of the annals Problems of Archaeology, Ethnography and Anthropology of Siberia and Neighboring Territories contains articles presenting the results of the most recent research in the main areas of work of the Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Among the authors are both well-known and young scientists from Russian and foreign academic and university scientific centers. The issue is intended for specialists in archaeology, ethnology, and anthropology.
Frontiers in Earth Scince
Throughout the arid lands of Africa and Eurasia, camelids facilitated the expansion of human popu... more Throughout the arid lands of Africa and Eurasia, camelids facilitated the expansion of human populations into areas that would not likely have been habitable without the transportation abilities of this animal along with the organic resources it provides, including dung, meat, milk, leather, wool, and bones. The two-humped, Bactrian, species of Camelus, C. ferus in its wild state and C. bactrianus when domesticated, is much more poorly known in prehistoric archaeological contexts than its single-humped congeneric, C. dromedarius. Our research uses a convergence of evidence approach to analyze reports and remains of Plio-Pleistocene camelids in Central and Northern Asia and trace the latest-known fossil Bactrian relative, Camelus knoblochi, that seems to have survived in the Gobi Desert until the Last Glacial Maximum (ca. 26.5-19 ka). Rock art depictions, some of which may be of Pleistocene age, record the complexity of nascent human-camel interactions and provide the impetus for further archaeological studies of both the origins of C. bactrianus and its increasingly complex relationships with the highly mobile prehistoric peoples of Central and Northern Asia.
Археология, этнография и антропология Евразии, 2021
Here, we present initial results of a new course of research being carried out at the Moiltyn-am,... more Here, we present initial results of a new course of research being carried out at the Moiltyn-am, Orkhon-1, and Orkhon-7 Paleolithic sites in the Orkhon River valley, central Mongolia. Research focuses on the Moiltyn-am site, which preserves a cultural and chronological sequence from the Final Middle to the Late Upper Paleolithic. Results from analyses of rare earth elements, Strontium (Sr) isotopes, and faunal assemblages are correlated with data on paleoenvironmental conditions in the region during MIS-3 and MIS-2. Our conclusions are based in part upon post-depositional changes detectable in archaeological material from cultural layers at the Moiltyn-am site revealed through convergent analyses of stratigraphy, sedimentology, planigraphy, and the comparison of Sr isotopes in sediments and osteological remains. XRF-derived geochemical data from the Moiltyn-am sedimentary sequence yielded evidence of past climatic conditions. We correlated these data with human occupational episodes in the Orkhon Valley during the Middle and Upper Paleolithic, and the results are analyzed in the context of extant paleoenvironmental information from northern Mongolia. Our results indicate a relatively humid climate prevailing during MIS-3, followed by a period of aridifi cation, and the redeposition of sediments at Moiltyn-am. Faunal analysis reveals that Bos sp. and equids were the principal prey species for humans in the Final Middle to Initial Upper Paleolithic, supplemented by members of the Caprinae during the Early Upper Paleolithic. A complex mammoth fauna inhabited forest-steppe and steppe landscapes in the Khangai Mountains during MIS-3 and MIS-2.
Quaternary International, 2020
J o u r n a l P r e -p r o o f J o u r n a l P r e -p r o o f
Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, 2020
Little is known about the acquisition and transport of rare or “exotic” raw materials in the Init... more Little is known about the acquisition and transport of rare or “exotic” raw materials in the Initial Upper
Paleolithic (IUP). A recently discovered perforated muscovite (mica) flakelet at the Kharganyn Gol 5 site in the
middle Selenga Basin of Mongolia raises the question of how far ancient humans ranged to access this material.
Here, we present the initial results of an ongoing study, including dating by 40Ar/39Ar and identification of the
muscovite source. The age of the Mongolian muscovite correlates with the Oktyabr’skaya outcrop in the Russian
Transbaikal region,>500 km from the site. The Buteeliin Nuruu Mountains, near the Kharganyn Gol 5 site, are
geologically similar and potentially contain as-yet unknown muscovite outcrops. This evidence suggests that
Initial Upper Paleolithic populations had developed social networks or moved over long distances, using the
Upper Paleolithic Selenga Corridor in both cases. Alternatively, the area’s Pleistocene occupants may have
known the geological resources of their home range better than we do now.
Проблемы археологии, этнографии, антропологии Сибири м сопредельных территорий , 2019
One of the main problems in reconstructing the paleoenvironment of human habitation in the Late P... more One of the main problems in reconstructing the paleoenvironment of human habitation in the Late Pleistocene in
Mongolia is the scarcity of faunal remains found at archaeological sites. Faunal finds furnish archaeological research
with data such as the type of paleolandscape, species of hunting animals, and samples for radiocarbon dating. Excavation
works of 2019 yielded small faunal collection which enriched the data already known from other Paleolithic sites
in Mongolia, indicating that steppe was predominant in the Khangai Mountains in the Late Pleistocene with typical
mammals for this type of landscape, many of which became extinct in the Holocene. An important discovery was a
relative homogeneity of the hunting species known in Northern and Central Mongolia. Horses (together with onagers)
became the main hunting species in the strategy of food acquiring. Recently, the number of faunal finds identified as
belonging to the Bovidae family of the MIS 3 has increased at the sites of the Late Pleistocene in Mongolia. The remains
of the Tarbagan marmot from Moiltyn-am can be described as accidental findings, since this animal still inhabits the
valley of the Orkhon River. However, Tarbagan marmots could have been the hunting species as well, although the
traces of butchering have not been observed on their bones. The faunal assemblage of the Orkhon valley is important
for understanding the spread of the teriofauna, especially horses, because geographically this territory had a passage
with open steppe landscapes leading to the Gobi.
Проблемы археологии, этнографии, антропологии Сибири м сопредельных территорий , 2019
Новая хронология и культурная атрибуция археологических комплексов памятника Мойлтын ам (Централь... more Новая хронология и культурная атрибуция археологических комплексов памятника Мойлтын ам (Центральная Монголия) Территория, занимаемая современной Монголией, являлась естественным перекрестком путей миграции древнего человека на восток и юг. И хотя предполагается, что восточная часть Центральной Азии была освоена еще в нижнем палеолите, достоверные свидетельства, снабженные серией радиоуглеродных дат, существуют для эпизодов ее заселения человеком в финальном среднем и верхнем палеолите. При этом заселение Центральной Монголии в среднем палеолите, зафиксированное в долине р. Орхон, также не имеет надежного хронометри-ческого определения, и индустрии с леваллуазским компонентом имеют здесь и в Гобийском Алтае достаточно поздние даты, около 30 000 л.н. и моложе. С 2018 г. Российско-Монгольско-Американская экспедиция проводит геохронологическое исследование в долине Орхона, целью которого является надежное датирование и стра-тиграфическая позиция леваллуазских индустрий. Изучение памятника Мойлтын ам показало, что материал в литологических слоях был переотложен, и полученные даты подтверждают это. В результате раскопок 2019 г. была получена репрезентативная коллекция леваллуазских продуктов расщепления, произведенных в рамках одно-направленного и бипродольного конвергентных острийных методов, а также параллельного отщепового рас-щепления. Тем не менее индустрию, представленную в горизонтах 4, 5 и 6, нельзя отнести к среднему палеолиту. Она представляет собой начальный верхний палеолит с каменным производством, базирующимся на гальках из аллювия. Отсутствие находок, относящихся к среднему палеолиту, может быть объяснено редуцированными отложениями в стратиграфии вниз по склону, не включающими слой со среднепалеолитическим горизонтом. Ключевые слова: Центральная Азия, Монголия, начальный верхний палеолит, леваллуа, Мойлтын ам, дати-рование.
Scientific Reports, 2019
The fossil record suggests that at least two major human dispersals occurred across the Eurasian ... more The fossil record suggests that at least two major human dispersals occurred across the Eurasian steppe during the Late Pleistocene. Neanderthals and Modern Humans moved eastward into Central Asia, a region intermittently occupied by the enigmatic Denisovans. Genetic data indicates that the Denisovans interbred with Neanderthals near the Altai Mountains (South Siberia) but where and when they met H. sapiens is yet to be determined. Here we present archaeological evidence that document the timing and environmental context of a third long-distance population movement in Central Asia, during a temperate climatic event around 45,000 years ago. The early occurrence of the Initial Upper Palaeolithic, a techno-complex whose sudden appearance coincides with the first occurrence of H. sapiens in the Eurasian steppes, establishes an essential archaeological link between the Siberian Altai and Northwestern China . Such connection between regions provides empirical ground to discuss contacts between local and exogenous populations in Central and Northeast Asia during the Late Pleistocene.
Antiquity Project Gallery, 2019
Well-stratified Middle Palaeolithic assemblages are extremely rare in Mongolia. Initially investi... more Well-stratified Middle Palaeolithic assemblages are extremely rare in Mongolia. Initially investigated between the 1960s and 1990s, three majorMiddle Palaeolithic sites in the Orkhon Valley of central Mongolia yielded a large quantity of data and generated many research questions that still await answers. Re-investigation of these sites has uncovered chronostratigraphic and cultural sequences that may shed new light on human dispersal routes.
Теория и практика археологических исследований , 2017
Quaternary international, 2014
Проблемы археологии, этнографии, антропологии Сибири и сопредельных территорий., 2018
В 2018 г. были инициированы новые раскопки на памятнике Мойлтын ам в Центральной Монголии. Объект... more В 2018 г. были инициированы новые раскопки на памятнике Мойлтын ам в Центральной Монголии. Объект имеет особое значение с точки зрения хроностратиграфии среднего палеолита в восточной части Центральной Азии. Нижние горизонты памятника содержат комплексы среднего палеолита, характеризующиеся леваллуазским и радиальным расщеплением. Новый цикл исследований памятника направлен на датирование современными методами (прежде всего ОСЛ), определение условий осадконакопления, особенностей планиграфии и характера каменной индустрии. Долгое время предполагалось, что памятник полностью уничтожен в результате антропогенного воздействия. В 2018 г. был выявлен непотревоженный участок с мощностью отложений, достаточной для проведения цикла необходимых анализов и получения нового археологического материала.
Проблемы археологии, этнографии, антропологии Сибири и сопредельных территорий, 2018
Долина Орхона в Центральной Монголии является одним из тех редких регионов, для которых археологи... more Долина Орхона в Центральной Монголии является одним из тех редких регионов, для которых археологически подтверждается интенсивное заселение в палеолите. Здесь в 1980-х гг. обнаружены и изучены стратифицированные памятники Орхон-1, -7 и Мойлтын ам, найдены стоянки с экспонированным материалом – практически каждая выположенная площадка второй надпойменной террасы Орхона была заселена на протяжении как минимум 13 км берега, в верхнем плейстоцене. Поскольку памятники изучались несколько десятилетий назад, назрела необходимость получения новой серии дат, особенно для комплексов среднего палеолита, не обеспеченных надежными радиоуглеродными определениями. В 2018 г. были проведены раскопки памятника Орхон-1 с целью получения образцов для радиоуглеродного и ОСЛ-датирования.
СОХРАНЕНИЕ КУЛЬТУРНОГО НАСЛЕДИЯ И НАЦИОНАЛЬНОЕ ХУДОЖЕСТВЕННОЕ ДОСТОЯНИЕ РЕГИОНОВ РОССИИ, 2018
Аннотация: для изучения юэчжей у исследователей есть археологические
материалы и нарративные исто... more Аннотация: для изучения юэчжей у исследователей есть археологические
материалы и нарративные источники. Можно с уверенностью предполагать,
что Кушанская держава в Бактрии происходит именно от переселившихся
юэчжей. Но вопрос, какая скифоидная археологическая культура может быть
с уверенностью сопоставлена с наследием ранних юэчжей в Китае всё еще
далёк от разрешения. В настоящей статье авторы рассмотрят основные точки
зрения, представленные в китайской и отечественной науке.
Ключевые слова: юэчжи, Ганьсу, номады Северного Китая, Синьцзян.
Summary: researchers have access to both archaeological materials and narrative
sources to expand our knowledge of Yuezhi culture. Although it seems clear that
the Kushan Empire emerged as one of the five branches of the Yuezhi
Confederation and migrated to Bactria in the early first century CE, it is still
uncertain which Scythian archaeological culture may be most closely correlated
with the early Yuezhi in China. Here, we evaluate the principal theories for Yuezhi
origins presented recently in the Chinese and Russian scientific literature,
illuminating both their strengths and weaknesses.
Key words: Yuezhi, Gansu, nomads of Northern China, Xinjiang.
A B S T R A C T Situated on the eastern periphery of Central Asia, Mongolia was a potentially imp... more A B S T R A C T Situated on the eastern periphery of Central Asia, Mongolia was a potentially important pathway for the migration of paleopopulations from the west to the east (and/or vice versa). Possible scenarios for the dispersal of ancient human populations in Mongolia are much more complicated than we initially supposed, due to the limited number of corridors penetrating natural barriers like the mountains of southern Siberia in the north and the arid mountain systems of the Mongolian and Gobi Altai ranges in the south. Nevertheless, we can detect several episodes during which those barriers were crossed by human migrants in the Upper Pleistocene based upon the geographic distribution of various species of Homo. These migration events can be detected by analyzing variability in lithic knapping technology and stone tool assemblages in Mongolia. The earliest two dispersal events we can identify – the Terminal Middle Paleolithic (TMP) and Initial Upper Paleolithic (IUP) are associated with an extremely complex and enigmatic question: who were the bearers of those cultural traits and did they successively replace one another, or did they co-exist, overlapping culturally? Both the TMP and IUP are associated with the Levallois reduction technology. Here, we attempt to analyze and interpret the entire spectrum of Levallois methods from chronological and technological perspectives, identified in Terminal Middle Paleolithic and Initial Upper Paleolithic assemblages from Mongolia. We identify four principal Levallois methods. The reduction strategies associated with them share features in common with lithic industries from the Russian Altai district in southern Siberia as well as northwestern and north-central China.
Study of petrographic composition is important for understanding how humans exploited available r... more Study of petrographic composition is important for understanding how humans exploited available resources. Stone raw material played a pivotal role in the subsistence life of paleopopulations, influencing
knapping technology, tool typology, routes of population movements within the home area, and possibly the size of the region. Petrographic study of assemblages, related to Initial Upper Paleolithic tradition in Central Asia – South Siberia, and to Final Upper Paleolithic, originated from the single natural and geographic region, demonstrates that ancient humans preferred exploiting the sedimentary silica-rich rocks – cherts with a cryptocrystalline structure of chalcedony-quartz composition, while the tuffaceous siltstone and coarse tuff and tufftes were available. Knapping of all these types is presented almost at all studied sites, but cherts are in the overwhelming majority among sampled rocks. All Paleolithic sites are situated near raw
material sources, presented by their engress or rivers’ alluvium.
The territories of modern Mongolia, China and Transbaikalia were inhabited by Struthio asiaticus ... more The territories of modern Mongolia, China and Transbaikalia were inhabited by Struthio asiaticus (Asian ostrich) during the Pleistocene. That species had become extinct there by the Early – Middle Holocene boundary, but had shared its home range with early modern humans, which there is a limited evidence suggesting their active use of ostrich eggshell. The discovery of eggshell beads in Upper Paleolithic sites supports the conclusion that this raw material was the basis of personal ornament production along with softer types of stone, bone, ivory and antler in the Transbaikalia, and the main basis in Mongolia and China, with few exceptions. There is no strong evidence for the use of ostrich eggshell as a container for liquid storage, but numerous discoveries of eggshell fragments unassociated with beads circumstantially supports that conclusion for the Early Upper Paleolithic in Northern Mongolia. Eggshell beads are a convenient material for multidisciplinary studies, from technological processes of shell treatment and bead production to analysis of wear traces and dating methodology. The development of ostrich eggshell dating is still on-going using various approaches because of the specifics of sample pretreatment: interior and exterior surfaces of eggshells yield different radiocarbon ages while the OSL method dates the age of loose sediments from the shells’ interior; sediments obviously accumulated there at some later point in time. Focusing on Paleolithic sites in Mongolia, we provide the all known chronometric data for ostrich eggshells discovered in China and the Transbaikalia as well, comparing the chronology of the Asian ostrich’s
existence and outlining its habitat parameters. Verifying the classification of beads developed originally for African archaeology, this research provides additional archaeological and experimental data on ostrich eggshell bead production, yielding evidence that this type of personal ornamentation could have been produced by means of technologically unsophisticated perforators since the Initial Upper Paleolithic.
A B S T R A C T Recent investigations have highlighted an Asian variant of the so-called Initial ... more A B S T R A C T Recent investigations have highlighted an Asian variant of the so-called Initial Upper Paleolithic (IUP) broadly comparable in age and material culture to techno-complexes further to the west, but also showing distinct derived features. Here, we describe and provide corroborating evidence for another distinct technology employed in the Initial Upper Paleolithic of Kara-Bom site, Russian Altai, − intentional fragmentation (IF). The most effective means of understanding knapping technology are refitting studies of archaeological collections. This article examines several examples of refitted fragmented cores and blades, as well as debitage as the by-product of blank breakage. On the basis of refitting analysis, the morphological attributes of fragmentation and its by-product intermediate flakes are defined. This intentional approach was used to segment large blades partially transported to the site. IF produced large blade fragments representing multi-functional tool blanks and burin-cores for bladelet production.
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Papers by Arina Khatsenovich
Paleolithic (IUP). A recently discovered perforated muscovite (mica) flakelet at the Kharganyn Gol 5 site in the
middle Selenga Basin of Mongolia raises the question of how far ancient humans ranged to access this material.
Here, we present the initial results of an ongoing study, including dating by 40Ar/39Ar and identification of the
muscovite source. The age of the Mongolian muscovite correlates with the Oktyabr’skaya outcrop in the Russian
Transbaikal region,>500 km from the site. The Buteeliin Nuruu Mountains, near the Kharganyn Gol 5 site, are
geologically similar and potentially contain as-yet unknown muscovite outcrops. This evidence suggests that
Initial Upper Paleolithic populations had developed social networks or moved over long distances, using the
Upper Paleolithic Selenga Corridor in both cases. Alternatively, the area’s Pleistocene occupants may have
known the geological resources of their home range better than we do now.
Mongolia is the scarcity of faunal remains found at archaeological sites. Faunal finds furnish archaeological research
with data such as the type of paleolandscape, species of hunting animals, and samples for radiocarbon dating. Excavation
works of 2019 yielded small faunal collection which enriched the data already known from other Paleolithic sites
in Mongolia, indicating that steppe was predominant in the Khangai Mountains in the Late Pleistocene with typical
mammals for this type of landscape, many of which became extinct in the Holocene. An important discovery was a
relative homogeneity of the hunting species known in Northern and Central Mongolia. Horses (together with onagers)
became the main hunting species in the strategy of food acquiring. Recently, the number of faunal finds identified as
belonging to the Bovidae family of the MIS 3 has increased at the sites of the Late Pleistocene in Mongolia. The remains
of the Tarbagan marmot from Moiltyn-am can be described as accidental findings, since this animal still inhabits the
valley of the Orkhon River. However, Tarbagan marmots could have been the hunting species as well, although the
traces of butchering have not been observed on their bones. The faunal assemblage of the Orkhon valley is important
for understanding the spread of the teriofauna, especially horses, because geographically this territory had a passage
with open steppe landscapes leading to the Gobi.
материалы и нарративные источники. Можно с уверенностью предполагать,
что Кушанская держава в Бактрии происходит именно от переселившихся
юэчжей. Но вопрос, какая скифоидная археологическая культура может быть
с уверенностью сопоставлена с наследием ранних юэчжей в Китае всё еще
далёк от разрешения. В настоящей статье авторы рассмотрят основные точки
зрения, представленные в китайской и отечественной науке.
Ключевые слова: юэчжи, Ганьсу, номады Северного Китая, Синьцзян.
Summary: researchers have access to both archaeological materials and narrative
sources to expand our knowledge of Yuezhi culture. Although it seems clear that
the Kushan Empire emerged as one of the five branches of the Yuezhi
Confederation and migrated to Bactria in the early first century CE, it is still
uncertain which Scythian archaeological culture may be most closely correlated
with the early Yuezhi in China. Here, we evaluate the principal theories for Yuezhi
origins presented recently in the Chinese and Russian scientific literature,
illuminating both their strengths and weaknesses.
Key words: Yuezhi, Gansu, nomads of Northern China, Xinjiang.
knapping technology, tool typology, routes of population movements within the home area, and possibly the size of the region. Petrographic study of assemblages, related to Initial Upper Paleolithic tradition in Central Asia – South Siberia, and to Final Upper Paleolithic, originated from the single natural and geographic region, demonstrates that ancient humans preferred exploiting the sedimentary silica-rich rocks – cherts with a cryptocrystalline structure of chalcedony-quartz composition, while the tuffaceous siltstone and coarse tuff and tufftes were available. Knapping of all these types is presented almost at all studied sites, but cherts are in the overwhelming majority among sampled rocks. All Paleolithic sites are situated near raw
material sources, presented by their engress or rivers’ alluvium.
existence and outlining its habitat parameters. Verifying the classification of beads developed originally for African archaeology, this research provides additional archaeological and experimental data on ostrich eggshell bead production, yielding evidence that this type of personal ornamentation could have been produced by means of technologically unsophisticated perforators since the Initial Upper Paleolithic.
Paleolithic (IUP). A recently discovered perforated muscovite (mica) flakelet at the Kharganyn Gol 5 site in the
middle Selenga Basin of Mongolia raises the question of how far ancient humans ranged to access this material.
Here, we present the initial results of an ongoing study, including dating by 40Ar/39Ar and identification of the
muscovite source. The age of the Mongolian muscovite correlates with the Oktyabr’skaya outcrop in the Russian
Transbaikal region,>500 km from the site. The Buteeliin Nuruu Mountains, near the Kharganyn Gol 5 site, are
geologically similar and potentially contain as-yet unknown muscovite outcrops. This evidence suggests that
Initial Upper Paleolithic populations had developed social networks or moved over long distances, using the
Upper Paleolithic Selenga Corridor in both cases. Alternatively, the area’s Pleistocene occupants may have
known the geological resources of their home range better than we do now.
Mongolia is the scarcity of faunal remains found at archaeological sites. Faunal finds furnish archaeological research
with data such as the type of paleolandscape, species of hunting animals, and samples for radiocarbon dating. Excavation
works of 2019 yielded small faunal collection which enriched the data already known from other Paleolithic sites
in Mongolia, indicating that steppe was predominant in the Khangai Mountains in the Late Pleistocene with typical
mammals for this type of landscape, many of which became extinct in the Holocene. An important discovery was a
relative homogeneity of the hunting species known in Northern and Central Mongolia. Horses (together with onagers)
became the main hunting species in the strategy of food acquiring. Recently, the number of faunal finds identified as
belonging to the Bovidae family of the MIS 3 has increased at the sites of the Late Pleistocene in Mongolia. The remains
of the Tarbagan marmot from Moiltyn-am can be described as accidental findings, since this animal still inhabits the
valley of the Orkhon River. However, Tarbagan marmots could have been the hunting species as well, although the
traces of butchering have not been observed on their bones. The faunal assemblage of the Orkhon valley is important
for understanding the spread of the teriofauna, especially horses, because geographically this territory had a passage
with open steppe landscapes leading to the Gobi.
материалы и нарративные источники. Можно с уверенностью предполагать,
что Кушанская держава в Бактрии происходит именно от переселившихся
юэчжей. Но вопрос, какая скифоидная археологическая культура может быть
с уверенностью сопоставлена с наследием ранних юэчжей в Китае всё еще
далёк от разрешения. В настоящей статье авторы рассмотрят основные точки
зрения, представленные в китайской и отечественной науке.
Ключевые слова: юэчжи, Ганьсу, номады Северного Китая, Синьцзян.
Summary: researchers have access to both archaeological materials and narrative
sources to expand our knowledge of Yuezhi culture. Although it seems clear that
the Kushan Empire emerged as one of the five branches of the Yuezhi
Confederation and migrated to Bactria in the early first century CE, it is still
uncertain which Scythian archaeological culture may be most closely correlated
with the early Yuezhi in China. Here, we evaluate the principal theories for Yuezhi
origins presented recently in the Chinese and Russian scientific literature,
illuminating both their strengths and weaknesses.
Key words: Yuezhi, Gansu, nomads of Northern China, Xinjiang.
knapping technology, tool typology, routes of population movements within the home area, and possibly the size of the region. Petrographic study of assemblages, related to Initial Upper Paleolithic tradition in Central Asia – South Siberia, and to Final Upper Paleolithic, originated from the single natural and geographic region, demonstrates that ancient humans preferred exploiting the sedimentary silica-rich rocks – cherts with a cryptocrystalline structure of chalcedony-quartz composition, while the tuffaceous siltstone and coarse tuff and tufftes were available. Knapping of all these types is presented almost at all studied sites, but cherts are in the overwhelming majority among sampled rocks. All Paleolithic sites are situated near raw
material sources, presented by their engress or rivers’ alluvium.
existence and outlining its habitat parameters. Verifying the classification of beads developed originally for African archaeology, this research provides additional archaeological and experimental data on ostrich eggshell bead production, yielding evidence that this type of personal ornamentation could have been produced by means of technologically unsophisticated perforators since the Initial Upper Paleolithic.