Archaeology, Ethnology & Anthropology of Eurasia 52 (4) 2024   doi:10.17746/1563-0110.2024.52.4.050-058

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Industry of Okladnikov Cave Layer 3
in the Context of the Sibiryachikha Complexes of the Altai Mountains

K.A. Kolobova^{1, 2}, I.E. Tyugashev¹, A.V. Kharevich¹, V.M. Kharevich¹, A.S. Koliasnikova¹, M.V. Seletsky¹, P.V. Chistyakov¹, S.V. Markin¹, and A.P. Derevianko^{1, 2}

¹Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography, Siberian Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Pr. Akademika Lavrentieva 17, Novosibirsk, 630090, Russia

²Altai State University, Pr. Lenina 61, Barnaul, 656049, Russia

This paper presents the results of a comprehensive analysis of lithics from layer 3 of Okladnikov Cave and their relevance to the Sibiryachikha industries of the Altai Mountains. Attribute analysis has shown that the industry of layer 3 demonstrates technological and typological similarities with the Sibiryachikha industries. These include radial flaking with an offset technological axis, a predominance of convergent side-scrapers, and a series of planoconvex bifacial tools. Functionally, the site was a camp where horse and rhinoceros carcasses were butchered and consumed. The analysis of flaking sequence integrity revealed similarity between Okladnikov layer 3 and Chagyrskaya industries in terms of primary and bifacial reduction. The initial stages of core decortication were carried out outside the cave, at the rock outcrops. Subsequent stages of core utilization and all stages of bifacial flaking were carried out in situ. The main difference between Okladnikov layer 3 and Chagyrskaya layer 6c/2 industries concerns only the stage of manufacturing and modifying stone tools. At Okladnikov Cave, these processes were much more intense than at Chagyrskaya, which may indicate transportation of numerous tools and blanks made of high-quality raw material from more distant sources.

Keywords: Middle Paleolithic, Sibiryachikha variant, Altai Mountains, bifacial technology, model of rock utilization, Neanderthals