The Paleoecology of the Plains Paleolithic (The Kamennaja Balka Upper Paleolithic Sites North Of Sea Of Azov)

The Paleoecology of the Plains Paleolithic (The Kamennaja Balka Upper Paleolithic Sites North Of Sea Of Azov) /N.B. Leonova, S.A. Nesmeyanov, E.A. Vinogradova,O.A. Voeikova, M.D. Gvozdover, E. V. Min'kov, E.A. Spiridonova, S.A. Sycheva; Moscow.: Scientific World, 2006. 360 p.

 

In the monograph there is described the specific of the complex study of the Plain Paleolithic on the
example of the most completely researched site. The environment of the area of the archaeological sites
was investigated with combined geological-geomophological, pedological, paleozoological and palinolog-
ical methods. The archaeological data of the cultural layers define the kamennobalkovskaya archeological         
culture. In the text there are paleolandscapes and paleogeographic reconstructions of the main stages of           
the development of the relief and landscapes of the area of the spreading of the sites in the Late Pleistocene, and besides the microreconstructions of the periods of the active occupation of the site Kamennaya Balka II. The mutual features of the subsistence strategies in this region in the time 15-14 000 BP had been discussed.

The monographs was published under financial support of RF # 04-06-87064-д.

 

CONTENTS     Introduction (N. Leonova, S. Nesmeyanov)    5
Part 1    The ancient environment of the sites and paleoecological
reconstructions    11
Chapter 1    The geological and geomorphological data
(S. Nesmeyanov, O. Voeykova)    13
1.1    The regional paleoecological situation    17
1.1.1    The mutual geological characteristic of the region    21
1.1.2    Basin genetic complex    27
1.1.3    Terrace genetic complex    27
1.1.4    Cover genetic complex    32
1.1.5    Correlation of the three main genetic complexes    34
1.1.6    Data for paleoecological reconstructions    36
1.2    The neighbourhood of the group of the sites of Kamennaya Balka    46
1.2.1    The mutual characteristic and methods of the investigations    47
1.2.2    The right bank of the ravine Kamennaya Balka    51
1.2.3    The left bank of the ravine Kamennaya Balka    65
1.2.4    The bed-river area of the lower part of the ravine Kamennaya Balka    69
1.2.5    The results of the generalization of the stratigraphical data    75
1.3    The area of the regular visiting    80
1.3.1    The main characteristic of the geomorphological division into districts    81
1.3.2    The main stages of development of the relief of the right bank of Don-river    82
1.3.3    The hypothetical borders of the area of the regular visiting    83
Chapter 2    Pedological data (S. Sycheva)    85
2.1    Buried Late Pleistocene soils    85
2.2    The slope and ravine-slope series and microfacias    87
2.2.1    Deluvium microfacias    87
2.2.2    Microfacial characteristic covered thickness according the profiles    88
2.2.3    Microfacial characteristic series of the covered thickness    94
2.3    Pedological characteristic of the series    95
2.4    The comparative characteristic of the buried soils and sediments    96
2.5    The comparative characteristic of the buried soils and cultural layers    96
2.6    The Holocene soils    100
Chapter 3    The Sporo-Pollen data (E. Spiridonova)    101
3.1    The peculiarities methods of application of the sporo-pollen analysis    101
3.1.1    The specific features of the technical processing of the samples from deluvial sediments and buried soils    101
3.1.2    The main stages of division and correlation of the palinozones on the formation of the local (regional) stratigraphical sceme of the covered deposits    102
3.2    The results of the palinological researching    103
3.2.1    The local (region) stratigraphical scheme of the Late Pleistocene and Holocene covered deposits in the area of ravine Kamennaya Balka    103
3.2.2    The palinological characteristic of the series of the covered thickness    110
3.2.3    The analysis of the age structure of the main cultural layer (CL-2) according of the data of the palinological researching on the site Kamennaya Balka II    118
Chapter 4    The materials of the radio-carbon dating
(N. Leonova, S. Nesmeyanov, S. Sycheva)    121
4.1    The methods and the problems of radio-carbon dating    121
4.2    Radio-carbon dating of the cultural layers    122
4.3    Radio-carbon dating of the buried soils and others deposits    123
4.3.1    The dating of the stages of forming of ravine Stoybistshenskij    123
4.3.2    The dating of the stages of forming Abrikos section (prospecting pit 10/96)    123
4.3.3    The correlation of age of the Holocene soilforming    123
Chapter 5    The consolidated stratigraphical scheme and peculiarites of constructing local Late Neopleistocene and Holocene
(S. Nesmeyanov, O. Voeykova)    125
5.1    Specific and problems in the correlation of the lithological, archaeological
and palinological data    125
5.1.1    The specific of the lithological data    125
5.1.2    The specific of the archaeological data    126
5.1.3    The specific of the palinological data    126
5.1.4    The problems of the comparison of the lithological and archaeological data    127
5.1.5    The problems of the comparison of the palinological, archaeological and lithological data    128
5.2    The comparison of pedological and geological data    129
5.2.1    The specific of the pedological data    129
5.2.2    The stratigraphical significance of the pedological data    129
5.3    The consolidated stratigraphical scheme of the Late Neopleistocene and Holocene    130
Part II    Archaeology of the Upperpaleolithic site Kamennaya Balka II
(M. Gvozdover, N. Leonova, E. Vinogradova, E. Min'kov)    133
Chapter 6    The short characteristic of the sites kamennobalkovskaja cultureof the Upper Paleolithic    135
6.1    The site Kamennaya Balka I    136
6.2    The site Kamennaya Balka II    137
6.3    The site Third Cape    140
6.4    The stone raw-material    141
6.5    The cultural identification of the sites    142
6.6    The methods of the investigating    143
Chapter 7    The site Kamennaya Balka II. The main (second) cultural layer    146
7.1    The situation of the site and spreading of the cultural layer    146
7.2    The collation of the archaeological data    148
7.3    The mutual character and preservation of the cultural layer    148
7.4    Dwellings and dwelling-spaces    149
7.5    «Hidden treasures»    152
7.6    The ritual activity on the site Kamennaya Balka II    152
Chapter 8    The methods of the complex analysis of the cultural layer    158
8.1    Microfacial analysis of the cultural layer    158
8.2    Microstratigraphical analysis of the cultural layer. The methods. Possibilities of the interpretation    161
8.3    Microstratigraphical researching of the northern-west plot of the site    171
8.3.1    The stratigraphy of the plot of the site according the microprofiles    171
8.3.2    Paleorelief of the cultural layer    176
8.3.3    Microstratigraphy of the main cultural layer    178
8.4    The spatial analysis of the economy- manufacturing objects. The northern-west part
of the site    193
8.4.1    The manufactoring centre № 1 (MC 1)    198
8.4.2    The manufactoring centre № 2 (MC 2)    201
8.4.3    The manufactoring centre № 3 (MC 3)    204
8.4.4    The manufactoring centre № 4 (MC 4)    211
8.4.5    The manufactoring centre № 5 (MC 5)    211
8.4.6    The outlying areas    213
8.5    The methods of remontage    215
8.6    The conclusion    216
Chapter 9    The character of the faunal remains and their researching    219
9.1    The description of the faunal remains    219
9.2    Methods and approaches to researching of the faunal remains    219
9.3    The spatial distribution of the faunal remains    223
9.4    Faunal data and seasons of the site, hunting strategeis, utilization of the quarry    227
9.5    Analysis of the dental cement    239
9.6    The conclusions    239
Part III    The environment system and subsistence practices in the Northern Priazovie    241
Chapter 10    The environment system and subsistence practices in the Nothern Priazovie
(N. Leonova, E. Min'kov)    243
10.1    The conceptions, methods and reliability of the reconstructions of the subsistence
strategies in the paleolithic    243
10.1.1    The conception of the «steppe zone». The different schemes    244
10.1.2    The modern attempts of synthesis    252
10.2    Estimating of the duration of the occupation of the site    257
10.3    The system approach and reliability of the reconstructions: the criteria of the choice of the methods of researching    261
Chapter 11    Paleogeographic reconstructions of the area of the sites Kamennaya Balka
(S. Nesmeyanov, O. Voeykova)    264
11.1    The main paleogeographic stages and their hierarchy and age index    264
11.2    Before Late Pleistocene stages of forming of the bends paleo-Don-river (I and II up stages)    267
11.3    The forming paleovalley of the lower part of the ravine Kamennaya Balka    270
11.3.1    Karangat transgression (III1)    270
11.3.2    Early Valdaj epoch of accumulation of the green colour series (III2)    270
11.3.3    Middle Valdaj epoch of the accumulation of red colour series (III3)    272
11.4    The forming of the modern valley of the lower part of the ravine Kamennaya Balka    272
11.4.1    The beginning of the forming the modern lower part of the ravine Kamennaya
Balka in the late Valdaj epoch    273
11.4.2    The forming of the modern appearance of the lower part of the ravine
Kamennaya Balka    274
Chapter 12    The paleolandscapes reconstructions of the area of the sites Kamennaya Balka
(E. Spiridonova, S. Sycheva)    275
12.1    Pedology materials    275
12.2    Palinology materials and their comparison with pedology materials    276
12.2.1    The period of the forming of the «dark-green» series (III2б)    276
12.2.2    The period of the forming « red-greyish-brown « series (III2а)    276
12.2.3    The period of the forming «greyish-brown» series (III3б)    276
12.2.4    The period of the forming « pale» series (III4а)    277
12.2.5    The period of the forming «greyish-brown - pale» series (III4б)    277
12.2.6    The specific of the periods of the occupation of the site Kamennaya Balka II    277
Chapter 13    The mutual features in subsistence practices 15-14 thousands years B.P.
(N. Leonova, S. Nesmeyanov)    278
13.1    Geographic situation and the main types of relief    278
13.2    Climate and landscapes    279
13.2.1    Wooden type of landscapes    279
13.2.2    Steppe type of landscapes    279
13.3    Fauna    280
13.3.1    Mutual composition of the faunal complex and distribution of its elements
on the different types of landscapes    280
13.3.2    Natural consumer resourses    280
13.4    The main type of the subsistence strategies    280
13.4.1    Hunting, its variants, the area regular and rare visits    280
13.4.2    Gathering    281
13.5    Duration of occupation and mutual way of life on the site    281
13.6    The main types of activities on the site    281
13.6.1    Types of dwelling and quantity of inhabitants    282
13.6.2    Types of the economy zones and their spreading    282
13.6.3    Rituals and hidden treasures    283
13.6.4    The main features of technology level    283
16.3.5    Organizing factor of the vigorous    283
13.7    Hypothetical variants distant trips and migrations    284
13.7.1    Short-time, comparatively distant trips    284
13.7.2    Very and ultra-distant trips    284
13.8    Some notions about quantity of the inhabitants and its relationsheeps    284
13.8.1    About «own» territories    284
13.8.2    About exchange relations    285
13.9    Why the life at the site had finished    285
    Conclusion    296
Bibliography        292
Resume        313
Appendices        318
1    Micromammalia from the main cultural layer of the Upperpaleolithic site
Kamennaya Balka II (A. Agajanyan)    318
2    Biomorphical analysis (A. Gol'eva, S. Sycheva)    329