New studies of the Upper Paleolithic site Byki-7 on the Seim River

Group of the Upper Paleolithic sites of Byki are situated on the left bank of Seim River (Desna river basin) 470 km SSW from Moscow and 50 km to the East from Kursk (Grigorieva & Filippov 1978; Chubur 2001; Akhmetgaleeva 2015). The main typological feature of Peny, Byki 1, 2, 3 and 7 (layers Ia & I) sites’ flint assemblages is the presence of geometric microliths, mainly triangles with oblique truncation of one edge and a straight truncated base. Complexes belong to the Late Upper Paleolithic with rich archaeological and faunal context. The close similarity of the sites’ points assemblage let us say about their archaeological unity. The lower cultural layers suspected as the remains of winter time settlements. We did not find yet any really archaeologically comparable materials for the Byki site’s data outside this micro region.

Fig. 1. Spatial distribution of different cultural layers and dwellings on the Byki-7 site. 1 - boundaries of the cultural layer Ia; 2 - boundaries of the cultural layer I: 1, 2 –numbering of Layer I dwellings; 3 - boundaries of the cultural layer II; 4 - areas of maximum saturation of the cultural layer Ia; 5 - boundaries of permafrost deformations of II generation; 6 - boundaries of permafrost deformations of I generation; 7 - the location of cultural layer Ib.

The analysis of Byki fauna materials has definitely showed the presence of a boreal sub-complex of so-called Late Last Glacial mammoth faunal complex (Akhmetgaleeva & Burova 2008). Basic hunting animals for human inhabitants of Byki sites were hare, arctic fox, reindeer and horse (Equus ferus). Byki I site has a series of radiocarbon dates around 18 – 17 000 BP (all dates given are uncalibrated). Byki 7 site also has a series of C14 dates that puts layer I to ca. 17 – 15 000 BP and layer Ia to ca. 17 – 14 000 BP. The microlithic tools, flint triangles, used most likely as arrowheads, play the most significant role in hunting projectile weaponry for the sites’ industry. For now it is only possible to suggest that those elements of Byki sites projectile hunting weaponry might reflect an optimal choice to use them in a hunt of both small- sized fur-bearing animals (hare and arctic fox) and ungulates (reindeer and horse). During the last seasons archaeological work was carried out on the multi-layer Upper Palaeolithic site of Byki-7. The thickness of the cultural sediments on this site was about 1 m. Four cultural layers Ic, Ia, Ib and I (from the top to down) were preserved in situ. We made the first observations on the correlation of chronologically distinct cultural sediments in different enclosing ground. The study of the upper cultural layer Ia was the main task. We determined that the remains of a summer time settlement were discovered. In 2017 cultural layers Ic and Ib were excavated for the first time. Presumably they also refer to the summer time settlements. The lower cultural layers are the remains of the winter time settlements. In 2004 we finished the study of the dwelling of the cold period of the 1st cultural layer. In 2017, we began the study of the second residential object of this cultural layer.

Fig. 2. Flint tools from Byki-7, layer Ia, excavations 2014.

Our hypothesis of a deliberate choice of habitat for the ancient collective has found its confirmation. The new second dwelling of the cultural layer I is similar to the first dwelling in relation to the ancient natural trough and the localization of the upper cultural layers. The relationship of the location of new Paleolithic structures and cultural horizons with respect to the ancient bed of the river Seim is repeated. The appearance of triangular microliths in the new cultural layer Ib allowed us to raise the question of the chronological comparability of different types of triangles from the Byki sites, their specific use and embedding the tip in the shaft of the arrow. A hypothesis that the triangles with an obliquely truncated base are the oldest form of triangular microliths - arrowheads is confirmed.

Fig. 3. Flint triangles: 1 – 26,29,35 - Byki-7, layer I; 27-28,30-34,36-39 – Byki-7, layer Ia; 40 - 45– Byki-1. The dotted lines mark localization of use-wear traces and arrows indicate macro-damage.

Bibliography Akchmetgaleeva N.B. 2015. Stone Age of Poseymnia: Upper Paleolithic site of Byki-7. Kursk: Dream. – 254 p. (In Russian) Akhmetgaleeva. N.B., Burova N.D. 2008. Reconstruction of a functional purpose of areas of Byki-7 site in Seim basin based on zooarheological data // Man. Adaptation. Culture. Moscow. Р. 44-55. (In Russian) Akchmetgaleeva N.B., Demidenko Yu.E. 2017. Complex analysis of morphology and typology, technology, traces of wear by definition of functional purpose and the industrial role of the triangles of the late Upper Paleolithic sites of the Byki (Poseimye) // Otv. Ed. S.A. Vasiliev, V.E. Shchelinsky. Ancient man and stone: technology, form, function. St. Petersburg: Oriental Studies. P. 198-208. (In Russian) Chubur A.A. 2001. The Byki. The new Paleolithic region and was place in the Upper Paleolithic of the Center Russian plain. Bryansk. 123 p. (In Russian) Grigorieva G.V., Filippov A.K. 1978. The Upper Paleolithic sites of the Peni // Soviet archeology (4), Moscow. Р. 168-175. (In Russian)

Excavations held by Natalia B. Akhmetgaleeva, Ph.d, Chief researcher of Kursk Regional Museum of Local Lore, [email protected]