МАТЕРИАЛЫ ИССЛЕДОВАНИЙ АНСАМБЛЯ АРХЕОЛОГИЧЕСКИХ МЕСТОНАХОЖДЕНИЙ КОВРИЖКА НА НИЖНЕМ ВИТИМЕ (1995-2009 ГГ.)

• Main Author: ТЕТЕНЬКИН А.В.
• Format: Text
• Language: unknown
• Published: Федеральное государственное бюджетное образовательное учреждение высшего образования «Иркутский национальный исследовательский технический университет» 2010
• Subjects: Greenland; Ochre; Ulla; Yakor; eskimo*; Sumnagin culture; Yakutia; Siberia
• Online Access: http://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/materialy-issledovaniy-ansamblya-arheologicheskih-mestonahozhdeniy-kovrizhka-na-nizhnem-vitime-1995-2009-gg; http://cyberleninka.ru/article_covers/16975242.png

The article is about the results of research of the group of archaeological sites Kovrizhka which consists to this moment of four multilayered sites (Kovrizhka I-IV) and several localities discovered by testpits. In all there are 28 discovered levels of artifact deposits. At least, it’s already known that earliest cultural horizon 3 at Kovrizhka III is older then 11,000 BP (uncalibrated age) and Holocene levels at Kovrizhka I (1, 1A, 1B) younger then 6,000 BP. The new received data give the opportunity to develop several directions of the archaeology of Northern Baikalian Siberia. Earliest stratifed complexes (cultural horizons 3, 2-lower and 2-upper at Kovrizhka III, and cultural horizon 5 at Kovrizhka II) belong to Final Stage of Sartan Period (about 11,000 BP). Tere are chronologically close or rather younger then the most researched on Lower Vitim site Bol’shoi Yakor’ I [Инешин, Тетенькин, 2010]. Cultural horizon 5 at Kovrizhka II represents by thing hearth complex of a very brief episode of human activity. At least, it could be sad about intentional choice of the place close to rock relic used as the «windbreak» covering the occupied space of the river. Rather informative complex is the cultural horizon 2 at Kovrizhka III. In its body we delineate, at least two levels 2-upper and 2-lower formatted during 11,000-10,400 BP. Planigraphy of it is characterized by hearths, stone plates as the anvils or «working tables», and constructions of narrow stone slabs standing on edge in common orientation. Te nature of last elements is not yet understood. Te tool collection is consists of typical for Final Paleolithic choppers, fake cores, bifaces, scrappers, microscrappers, transversal burins and wedge-shaped microcores. Te last ones are diferent to each other. In particular, there are two microprismatic cores which are interesting as the marks of the presence of experience of prismatic microsplitting in Final Pleistocene time. Te common feature of all microcores of cultural horizon 2 at Kovrizhka III is the absence of cores made of biface according to «ubetzy» technique which is dominated in assemblages of Bol’shoi Yakor’ I. Te fndings of the pieces of volcanic pumice in cultural horizon 2 at Kovrizhka III allow studying the theme of longidistance communications of ancient population going of of the frame of Baikalo-Patom’s upland. Te next time span represented on Kovrizhka I-IV is about 8,200-7,000 BP. Tere are cultural horizon 1A at Kovrizhka III, cultural horizons 1-4A at Kovrizhka II, cultural horizons 3-7 at Kovrizhka IV. Te assemblage from cultural horizons 3 and 4A at Kovrizhka II is most numerous. It includes wedgeshaped cores, bifaces, large fat scrapers on cobbles, fake scrapers, angled burins on fakes, awls, microblades, pebble wood-cutting tools, beads, and debitage. Hence artifacts of cultural horizons 1-4A at Kovrizhka II look like Paleolithic assemblage. Most of analogues for them are found in assemblages of Duktai culture of Yakutia including the site Avdeikha on Vitim River. It should be noticed on Kovrizhka II the absence of cores made of biface by «ubetzy» technique which is dominated in assemblages of Bol’shoi Yakor’ I. On the contrary, all found terminal cores presents the technique of producing the striking platform from lateral-side and terminal end by several short chips in same cases with preserving a rudiment of the edge of perform (biface or uniface). Tis kind of performing the wedge-shaped core is discovered in assemblages of Avdeikha and cultural horizon 2 at Kovrizhka III. Te fact of existing in 1st half of Holocene the industry looking like Upper Paleolithic Duktai one falls out the scheme of cultural changing on Yakutia used previously in explanation of cultural history on lower part of Vitim River. According to the fndings of ski-like spalls, cultural horizons 5 and 4 at Kovrizhka IV on the contrary are assigned to complexes with «ubetzu»-like technique of the longitudinal splinting the bifaces typical for Bol’shoi Yakor’ I and unusual for Kovrizhka II and III. Judging the radiocarbon data of the earliest presence of this technique (Bol’shoi Yakor’ I) and oldest one (Invalidnyi III, location 1) the time of its existing is assigned to 12,700-6,000 BP [Инешин, Тетенькин, 2005, 2010]. An interesting archaeological subject is the artifcial circular feature constructed from stone slabs organized around the top of the stone relics, which at that time served as a hearth in cultural horizon 5. The top of the remains is a line of upright protruding slabs that divide the ring into two approximately equal halves, oriented almost directly to the north. The diameter of the construction is about 3.6 m. The area of both halves is filled with stone masonry. Among the stone slabs were a few fakes and a wedge-shaped core. Danish scholar Ulla Odgaard found that the construction could be a dwelling, since it has similarities with Eskimo dwellings of the mid-passage type (i.e., a house with an entry in the middle and a clearly defned «passage» separate from the sleeping area). In her view, this type of dwelling existed throughout Eskimo history in Greenland [Odgaard 2001, 2003]. This cultural tradition is of Siberian origin and its roots must be in the Stone Age. In our view, this version is noteworthy as one of the possible and interesting interpretations of the functional semantics of design. Age calculations are based on the typology of wedge-shaped microblade cores characteristic of the fnal Paleolithic and Mesolithic as well as the radiocarbon dates from cultural horizons 4A and lower 3. Presumably the dwelling can be dated to 7000-8000 14C BP. Other interesting subject here is the study of sign-symbolic activity of ancient population. First such artifacts were found on Bol’shoi Yakor’ I. Tere are the items of graphite from cultural horizons 6, 4V, 3V and 3B. On Kovrizhka pieces of graphite with the marks of polishing were found cultural horizon 2 at Kovrizhka III and cultural horizons 3 and 4 at Kovrizhka II. But moreover, in cultural horizon 4A at Kovrizhka II there were found the pieces of ochre. Te most important result in this subject is discovery of two ornament artifacts a fint bead from cultural horizon 3 at Kovrizhka II (8180 ± 130 14C BP) and graphite pendant from cultural horizon 4 at Kovrizhka IV (~ 7,000-7,900 BP). Tese goods became the frst items of mobile ornament art in Lower Vitim and Baikalo-Patom’s upland. Both artifacts were made by grinding, drilling, and engraving. Te remnants of cultural horizon 2 (~ 6,000 BP) and beach at Kovrizhka I based on prismatic cores, end scrapers, pebble axes and common blade character of industry correlates both with the Sumnagin culture of Yakutia, for example, site Bol’shaya Severnaya on Vitim River [Мочанов, 1977], and Ust’-Karenga Neolithic culture (11,000-4500 14C BP) of upper Vitim valley. Together with Holocene assemblages at Invalidnyi III (locations 1,2,3) sites Kovrizhka I-IV forms three types of stone industry represented by techniques of microblade procurement. Based on Avdeikha materials and materials from cultural horizons 2 at Kovrizhka III, cultural horizons 1-4A at Kovrizhka II, one can argue that the reduction of bifaces to wedge-shaped cores and their use in the production of microblades was a technological tradition that persisted from over 12,000 to 8000 14C BP. Tis technique involves the preparation of a platform, not by removing the longitudinal edges and ski spalls but by either forming steep transverse retouch from one of the faces and forming and trimming from the front or forming a platform with short frontal spalls while retaining the edge on the rest of the length of the proximal edge of the core. Te discovery in cultural horizons 4 and 5 at Kovrizhka IV of a ski spalls and in cultural horizon 2 at Invalidnyi III (locality 1, 6200 14C BP) of a typical Yubetsu core (i.e., one formed from the removal of longitudinal ski spalls from a biface), however, permits us to point to the long-term coexistence of both technological traditions (Avdeikha/Kovrizhka III/Kovrizhka II and Bol’shoi Iakor’ I/Kovrizhka IV/ Invalidnyi III, locality 1). Te preservation of this tradition of wedge-shaped cores during the frst half of the Holocene on the lower Vitim likely relates to the persistence of specifc environmental conditions and related faunal resource exploitation patterns. Te Yubetsu technique of modifying bifaces into cores continued as a successful adaptive strategy. Te assemblages from cultural horizon 1 at Invalidnyi III (locality 2, 8900 14C BP) and Kovrizhka I (6000 14C BP) partly fall under the description of the Sumnagin Epi-Paleolithic culture of Yakutia (Мочанов, 1977), except for the bifaces, which are atypical for the Sumnagin culture, and adzes «with overshots,» which are typical of late Mesolithic Baikal complexes and synchronous complexes of the Ust’-Karenga culture on the upper Vitim (Ветров, 1995, 2000). At this time, the study of materials from our sites along the lower Vitim does not allow us to link the industries (i.e., from Bol’shoi Iakor’ I, Kovrizhka II, Kovrizhka IV, localities 1 and 2 at Invalidnyi III, and Kovrizhka I) into a single line of development of material culture of ancient people, as was done for the upper Vitim (i.e., the Ust’Karenga culture). At least two explanations are suggested for this cultural variability. Either we are dealing with diferent types of adaptation or activities, or we are dealing with the development of two genetically diferent coexisting cultures around 8000-6000 14C BP, at least one of which has local Paleolithic roots in the cultural remains of Bol’shoi Iakor’ I and Avdeikha. Perhaps the latest results from Kovrizhka III will shed light on this issue. At this point, we note the presence at about 11,000 14C BP of an assemblage with a pronounced Upper Paleolithic character along with the technique of microblade reduction refected not only in wedgeshaped cores but also in cores characterized by a front taken from the terminal end to a lateral side. Te working hypothesis that can be formulated is that we are dealing with a technological tradition of prismatic microreduction at the very beginning of its development. The article is about the results of research of the group of archaeological sites Kovrizhka which consists to this moment of four multilayered sites (Kovrizhka I-IV) and several localities discovered by testpits. In all there are 28 discovered levels of artifact deposits. At least, it’s already known that earliest cultural horizon 3 at Kovrizhka III is older then 11,000 BP (uncalibrated age) and Holocene levels at Kovrizhka I (1, 1A, 1B) younger then 6,000 BP. The new received data give the opportunity to develop several directions of the archaeology of Northern Baikalian Siberia. Earliest stratifed complexes (cultural horizons 3, 2-lower and 2-upper at Kovrizhka III, and cultural horizon 5 at Kovrizhka II) belong to Final Stage of Sartan Period (about 11,000 BP). Tere are chronologically close or rather younger then the most researched on Lower Vitim site Bol’shoi Yakor’ I [Инешин, Тетенькин, 2010]. Cultural horizon 5 at Kovrizhka II represents by thing hearth complex of a very brief episode of human activity. At least, it could be sad about intentional choice of the place close to rock relic used as the «windbreak» covering the occupied space of the river. Rather informative complex is the cultural horizon 2 at Kovrizhka III. In its body we delineate, at least two levels 2-upper and 2-lower formatted during 11,000-10,400 BP. Planigraphy of it is characterized by hearths, stone plates as the anvils or «working tables», and constructions of narrow stone slabs standing on edge in common orientation. Te nature of last elements is not yet understood. Te tool collection is consists of typical for Final Paleolithic choppers, fake cores, bifaces, scrappers, microscrappers, transversal burins and wedge-shaped microcores. Te last ones are diferent to each other. In particular, there are two microprismatic cores which are interesting as the marks of the presence of experience of prismatic microsplitting in Final Pleistocene time. Te common feature of all microcores of cultural horizon 2 at Kovrizhka III is the absence of cores made of biface according to «ubetzy» technique which is dominated in assemblages of Bol’shoi Yakor’ I. Te fndings of the pieces of volcanic pumice in cultural horizon 2 at Kovrizhka III allow studying the theme of longidistance communications of ancient population going of of the frame of Baikalo-Patom’s upland. Te next time span represented on Kovrizhka I-IV is about 8,200-7,000 BP. Tere are cultural horizon 1A at Kovrizhka III, cultural horizons 1-4A at Kovrizhka II, cultural horizons 3-7 at Kovrizhka IV. Te assemblage from cultural horizons 3 and 4A at Kovrizhka II is most numerous. It includes wedgeshaped cores, bifaces, large fat scrapers on cobbles, fake scrapers, angled burins on fakes, awls, microblades, pebble wood-cutting tools, beads, and debitage. Hence artifacts of cultural horizons 1-4A at Kovrizhka II look like Paleolithic assemblage. Most of analogues for them are found in assemblages of Duktai culture of Yakutia including the site Avdeikha on Vitim River. It should be noticed on Kovrizhka II the absence of cores made of biface by «ubetzy» technique which is dominated in assemblages of Bol’shoi Yakor’ I. On the contrary, all found terminal cores presents the technique of producing the striking platform from lateral-side and terminal end by several short chips in same cases with preserving a rudiment of the edge of perform (biface or uniface). Tis kind of performing the wedge-shaped core is discovered in assemblages of Avdeikha and cultural horizon 2 at Kovrizhka III. Te fact of existing in 1st half of Holocene the industry looking like Upper Paleolithic Duktai one falls out the scheme of cultural changing on Yakutia used previously in explanation of cultural history on lower part of Vitim River. According to the fndings of ski-like spalls, cultural horizons 5 and 4 at Kovrizhka IV on the contrary are assigned to complexes with «ubetzu»-like technique of the longitudinal splinting the bifaces typical for Bol’shoi Yakor’ I and unusual for Kovrizhka II and III. Judging the radiocarbon data of the earliest presence of this technique (Bol’shoi Yakor’ I) and oldest one (Invalidnyi III, location 1) the time of its existing is assigned to 12,700-6,000 BP [Инешин, Тетенькин, 2005, 2010]. An interesting archaeological subject is the artifcial circular feature constructed from stone slabs organized around the top of the stone relics, which at that time served as a hearth in cultural horizon 5. The top of the remains is a line of upright protruding slabs that divide the ring into two approximately equal halves, oriented almost directly to the north. The diameter of the construction is about 3.6 m. The area of both halves is filled with stone masonry. Among the stone slabs were a few fakes and a wedge-shaped core. Danish scholar Ulla Odgaard found that the construction could be a dwelling, since it has similarities with Eskimo dwellings of the mid-passage type (i.e., a house with an entry in the middle and a clearly defned «passage» separate from the sleeping area). In her view, this type of dwelling existed throughout Eskimo history in Greenland [Odgaard 2001, 2003]. This cultural tradition is of Siberian origin and its roots must be in the Stone Age. In our view, this version is noteworthy as one of the possible and interesting interpretations of the functional semantics of design. Age calculations are based on the typology of wedge-shaped microblade cores characteristic of the fnal Paleolithic and Mesolithic as well as the radiocarbon dates from cultural horizons 4A and lower 3. Presumably the dwelling can be dated to 7000-8000 14C BP. Other interesting subject here is the study of sign-symbolic activity of ancient population. First such artifacts were found on Bol’shoi Yakor’ I. Tere are the items of graphite from cultural horizons 6, 4V, 3V and 3B. On Kovrizhka pieces of graphite with the marks of polishing were found cultural horizon 2 at Kovrizhka III and cultural horizons 3 and 4 at Kovrizhka II. But moreover, in cultural horizon 4A at Kovrizhka II there were found the pieces of ochre. Te most important result in this subject is discovery of two ornament artifacts a fint bead from cultural horizon 3 at Kovrizhka II (8180 ± 130 14C BP) and graphite pendant from cultural horizon 4 at Kovrizhka IV (~ 7,000-7,900 BP). Tese goods became the frst items of mobile ornament art in Lower Vitim and Baikalo-Patom’s upland. Both artifacts were made by grinding, drilling, and engraving. Te remnants of cultural horizon 2 (~ 6,000 BP) and beach at Kovrizhka I based on prismatic cores, end scrapers, pebble axes and common blade character of industry correlates both with the Sumnagin culture of Yakutia, for example, site Bol’shaya Severnaya on Vitim River [Мочанов, 1977], and Ust’-Karenga Neolithic culture (11,000-4500 14C BP) of upper Vitim valley. Together with Holocene assemblages at Invalidnyi III (locations 1,2,3) sites Kovrizhka I-IV forms three types of stone industry represented by techniques of microblade procurement. Based on Avdeikha materials and materials from cultural horizons 2 at Kovrizhka III, cultural horizons 1-4A at Kovrizhka II, one can argue that the reduction of bifaces to wedge-shaped cores and their use in the production of microblades was a technological tradition that persisted from over 12,000 to 8000 14C BP. Tis technique involves the preparation of a platform, not by removing the longitudinal edges and ski spalls but by either forming steep transverse retouch from one of the faces and forming and trimming from the front or forming a platform with short frontal spalls while retaining the edge on the rest of the length of the proximal edge of the core. Te discovery in cultural horizons 4 and 5 at Kovrizhka IV of a ski spalls and in cultural horizon 2 at Invalidnyi III (locality 1, 6200 14C BP) of a typical Yubetsu core (i.e., one formed from the removal of longitudinal ski spalls from a biface), however, permits us to point to the long-term coexistence of both technological traditions (Avdeikha/Kovrizhka III/Kovrizhka II and Bol’shoi Iakor’ I/Kovrizhka IV/ Invalidnyi III, locality 1). Te preservation of this tradition of wedge-shaped cores during the frst half of the Holocene on the lower Vitim likely relates to the persistence of specifc environmental conditions and related faunal resource exploitation patterns. Te Yubetsu technique of modifying bifaces into cores continued as a successful adaptive strategy. Te assemblages from cultural horizon 1 at Invalidnyi III (locality 2, 8900 14C BP) and Kovrizhka I (6000 14C BP) partly fall under the description of the Sumnagin Epi-Paleolithic culture of Yakutia (Мочанов, 1977), except for the bifaces, which are atypical for the Sumnagin culture, and adzes «with overshots,» which are typical of late Mesolithic Baikal complexes and synchronous complexes of the Ust’-Karenga culture on the upper Vitim (Ветров, 1995, 2000). At this time, the study of materials from our sites along the lower Vitim does not allow us to link the industries (i.e., from Bol’shoi Iakor’ I, Kovrizhka II, Kovrizhka IV, localities 1 and 2 at Invalidnyi III, and Kovrizhka I) into a single line of development of material culture of ancient people, as was done for the upper Vitim (i.e., the Ust’Karenga culture). At least two explanations are suggested for this cultural variability. Either we are dealing with diferent types of adaptation or activities, or we are dealing with the development of two genetically diferent coexisting cultures around 8000-6000 14C BP, at least one of which has local Paleolithic roots in the cultural remains of Bol’shoi Iakor’ I and Avdeikha. Perhaps the latest results from Kovrizhka III will shed light on this issue. At this point, we note the presence at about 11,000 14C BP of an assemblage with a pronounced Upper Paleolithic character along with the technique of microblade reduction refected not only in wedgeshaped cores but also in cores characterized by a front taken from the terminal end to a lateral side. Te working hypothesis that can be formulated is that we are dealing with a technological tradition of prismatic microreduction at the very beginning of its development.