Sorokin the Final Palaeolithic in Central Russia

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Sorokin the Final Palaeolithic in Central Russia THE FINAL PALAEOLITHIC IN CENtrAL RUSSIA А�������� � Soroki� Abstract The Final PalaeolithicCentral Russia in The analysis of palynological, radiocarbon and geological methods dating of archaeological sites of the end of the Pleistocene � � and the beginning of the Holocene in Central Russia and the revision of available and not numerous dates shows that for mineral grounds these methods require serious correction, and the dates themselves do not correspond in most cases to the typological age of the archaeological materials. ���� А���� � Soroki Key words: Central Russia, Final Palaeolithic, palynology, radiocarbon, geology. The setting 3) the surface deposition of the majority of finds from that time; The absence of special studies devoted to the Final 4) the absence of marked cultural layers, denoted by Palaeolithic of Central Russia reflects expressively the term “horizon deposit of finds”; the state of affairs in this field. One cannot say that at- tempts have not been made. One might mention a great 5) the singleness and uncertainty of some natural-sci- number of publications, including recent ones, where ence dates; and these or other sites are mentioned, in whose materials 6) the absence of faunal remains. there are artefacts from this period of time (Koltsov 1989, 2002; Kravtsov, Konnov 2002; Lisitsyn 2002; If Upper Palaeolithic materials are deposited, as a rule, Lantsev, Miretsky 1996; Sidorov 1996, 2002; Sinit- relatively deep, their age, even in the absence of car- syna, Kildyushevsky 1996; Trusov 2004; Zhilin 1995; bon 14 geology and palynology, is affected by the pres- Koltsov, Zhilin 1999). Nevertheless, as their analysis ence of “mammoth fauna”, which serves by itself as shows, the affair does not advance beyond these men- “a reliable antiquity sign”, then for Final Palaeolithic tions. I think the reason is that for some time now ar- materials the surface deposition of artefacts, the practi- chaeologists have begun to rely too much on natural- cal absence of coloration of “horizons of finds deposi- science methods of dating, and ceased to trust the main tion”, and the inexpressiveness or absence of faunistic proper archaeological method of research, the typolog- remains are typical, as well as the lack of samples for ical one. Therefore, the absent and rejuvenated dates dating. These circumstances create for archaeologists of these or other sites seem to prevail over the material a peculiar “shock threshold”, which has not yet been itself. However, this does not mean that this article sees overcome. Because of this, even seeing the resem- its main task as overthrowing one of these methods and blance in dated Western materials, their East European reanimating the other. Instead, it attempts to escape the analogues are attributed already to the Mesolithic, but circle of ideas formed on the basis of the revision of the in no way to the glacial epoch. One more reason of no available source-study basis (both archaeological and small importance is that existing ideas of the cultures natural-sciences) when dealing with the specific matter of the Final Palaeolithic and Mesolithic are based on of sites of the Final Palaeolithic. an incorrect theoretical basis. In order to understand the meaning of this, it is enough to remember the It would be no exaggeration to say that the epoch of names of some archaeological cultures, for example the Final Palaeolithic in the European part of the Rus- Ust-Kamsky Culture, Sredne-Vychegodskaya Culture, sian Federation is the least-studied. This circumstance the eastern version of Federmesser, East Ahrensburg is determined, apparently, not so much by the absence etc, which show a complete misunderstanding of their of Final Palaeolithic sites themselves, as by the firmly nature and essence. The territory of the archaeologi- existing opinion of another, as a rule, younger (Meso- cal culture is determined by the economy of a specific lithic) age. A negative role in this is played by a number group of ancient people, their way of life and the be- of circumstances, among which we should mention: haviour of their main prey which they hunted, and not 1) the heterogeneity of most of the material; by the mouth of a river where field studies were con- ducted and by which these or other sites were fixed. 2) the small number and inexpressiveness of most of the available “pure” complexes; 120 Realising clearly the depth of the touched-on problem thickness is about 50 centimetres, one centimetre of of sites of the Final Palaeolithic epoch in the region, deposits will be formed during not less than 200 years. 7 I will try to propose my own version of the approach We should emphasise that this interval is the largest A C to its solution. For this purpose, we have to revise the one; therefore, in respect to the sedimentation, it can I source-study basis and methods of natural-science dat- be examined as monotonic and referential. Abstract- T ing. At present the methods of geological and radiocar- ing one’s mind from the “extremeness” of two other AL bon dating are of little use for the objects of the exam- figures and examining them also as some constant, we B ined period, for various reasons. The first gives a wide will get in the third case (10,000 years : 100�с������������m) 100 IA chronological interval, and, on account of its general years in one centimetre and in the fourth case (10,000 G non-concrete nature, is almost not used when dating years : 150�с������������������m), about �67 years. �S���������������������ince the average sam- archaeological sites of comparatively recent times. The ple for palynological analysis has a thickness of five high precision of the radiocarbon method makes it the centimetres, it means its pack includes in the first case HAEOLO most acceptable in the independent dating of material, 2,000 years, in the second case 1,000 years, in the third RC but one peculiarity of Final Palaeolithic sites is that a case 500 years, and last, in the fourth case about 335 A sufficient number of sample batches cannot always be years. It is also important to mention that even in those obtained. In recent years, the absence of means for the cases when samples are taken “by extension”, in prac- production of general analyses has also added to this. tice their thickness cannot be less than two centimetres, which as a result for each interval brings us ideally to It would not be an overstatement to say that at present, figures of 800, 400, 200 and about 135 years. These for dating Final Pleistocene and Early Holocene sites, simple calculations show the peculiar actual precision the palynological method has become widespread. of the palynological method. Consequently, we can af- Taking into account this circumstance, it is interesting firm, with all due evidence, that “the step in 200–300 to look at the conclusions of one of the most competent years for measuring climatic variations”, proposed for specialists in this field, �.�..���.. �S���������������������piridonova, which she the age of ��...���.. �S����������������������������������piridonova’s palynological samples has come to while developing Holocene chronology (�piridonova, Aleshinskaya 199�: �5), exceeds sig- (Spiridonova, Aleshinskaya 1998, 1999). It is clear that nificantly the allowable precision limit of the method this will concern not floristic or technical, but only the itself, calculated on monotonic and reference data. Es- archaeological problems of this method. pecially, we cannot agree on the figures of 100 to 150 years (Spiridonova, Aleshinskaya 1996: 67). Palynology: a user’s doubts These calculations bring us inevitably to some conclusions: Experience shows that the finds at Final Palaeolithic and Mesolithic sites begin to be met already on mod- 1. The archaeological layer is formed mainly after a ern original grounds. At the same time the thickness of time of real residing on the site, and the site structure the cultural layer of the majority of Mesolithic and, in is determined not so much by the “life-time” situation, general, Holocene sites is 20 to 25 centimetres. As a as to a significantly greater extent by its postposition rule, it does not reach 50 centimetres. There are signifi- history. cantly fewer sites with a layer of a thickness of up to 2. The burial of artefacts takes place by no means im- one metre, and there are only a few sites whose layers mediately, but over a long period of time; therefore, are 1.5 and more metres thick.1 One can also notice that pollen, which is deposited over the archaeological ma- a significant thickness of sediments is connected, as a terial, certainly rejuvenates these deposits. rule, with areas of plumes or dune ridges, that is, relief elements whose formation, in its essence, is extreme 3. Pollen is deposited each season, and what comes into (catastrophic). In its turn, the Holocene extension is the ground is found, for the most part, in the soil layer, determined, roughly, in 10,000 years (Khotinsky 1977, which is mostly subject to different kinds of turbations, 1982, 2002). If we consider the speed of sediment ac- what, in addition to other reasons, brings inevitably to cumulation (sedimentation) to be constant, it is easy, its mixture. Thus the “purity” of palynological sam- knowing the layer thickness, to count what thickness of ples, like the archaeological material, is more random deposits grows during a conventional unit of time. We than natural. And it is connected, as a rule, with cata- will limit ourselves to the above-mentioned figures. In strophic sediment accumulation, and not with the mo- the first case, when the cultural layer thickness is 25 notonic deposition of layers. centimetres, in one centimetre of deposits a span of 400 4.
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