THE PALEOECOLOGY OF THE PLAINS PALEOLITHIC

(THE KAMENNAJA BALKAUPPER 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 2006

Published on Monday, 17 October 2011 20:30

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