Archaeology, Ethnology & Anthropology of Eurasia 41 (1) 2013

Annotation:  Chagyrskaya Cave: A Middle Paleolithic Site in the Altai Large Mammal Fauna from the Pleistocene Deposits of Chagyrskaya Cave, Northwestern Altai (Based on 2 Environmental Conditions During the Early Human Settlement of Chagyrskaya Cave (Altai) Dental Remains from the Middle Paleolithic Layers of Altai Cave Sites An Archaic Human Ulna from Chagyrskaya Cave, Altai: Morphology and Taxonomy The Neanderthals of Okladnikov Cave, Altai: Environment and Diet Based on Isotopic Analysis The Sibiryachikha Facies of the Middle Paleolithic of the Altai The Burial Rite of the Early Scythian Nomads of Tuva (Based on the Bai-Dag I Cemetery) The Oxus Temple: Localization of the Avestan Vahvi Daitya Sacred Space in the Worldview and Art of the Tungus-Manchu Ethnic Minority, Sakhalin Island Interethnic Dynamics among the Indigenous Peoples of Southern Siberia (Demographic Aspect)   

Dental Remains from the Middle Paleolithic Layers of Altai Cave Sites

A.P. Buzhilova.

Two Middle Paleolithic cave sites in the Altai – Okladnikov and Chagyrskaya – have yielded dental remains (mostly isolated teeth) of individuals of various ages. A newly discovered mandibular fragment with teeth from Chagyrskaya Cave reveals a Neanderthal trait combination: anterior fossa and epicristid (midtrigonid crest) on molars, metaconid and crest on premolars. The totality of dental traits support the conclusion previously drawn on the basis of postcranial characters: Altai Neanderthals appear to be intermediate between other Eurasian Neanderthals and anatomically modern humans.

Keywords: Human evolution, Neanderthals, Mousterians, Gorny Altai, dental traits.