458
Land-Ocean SYstems in the Siberian Arctic: Dynamics and History
on the natural history of the Taymyr - North Land Islands Region in the Late Quaternary
thatrefutes the idea on an extensive final glaciation (Badinova et aI., 1976; Danilov and Parunin,
1982; Makeyev et aI., 1979; Makeyev et aI., 1989; Bolshiyanov and Makeyev, 1996).
The cultural development of the Taymyr Peninsula beginning from the Mesolithic is thought
to be connected with the influence of cultural traditions spreading westward from modern
Yakutia, although some groups of the West Siberian origin penetrated into the area in the Late
Neolithic, and participated in the formation of the later aboriginal culture(s) also.
Only once Khlobystin did survey territory which could be considered as more or less in the
central part of the peninsula. This took place in 1981, when he surveyed the Verkhnyaya
(Upper) Taymyra River valley as far as its confluence with the Logata River (the latter is the
greatest right tributary on the Upper Taymyra River). Very few artifacts were found during this
survey, and the site location discovered near the Logata River mouth, where artifacts
representing different cultures were collected, was the most important find. Unfortunately, the
location was unsuitable for further excavation because it lacked stratigraphy. But the finds made
there, especially microblades, indicated that the Upper Taymyra valley has been populated since
at least 6,000 BP, as well as the territories bordering central Taymyr. Thus, the central and
northern part of the Taymyr Peninsula still remained a "blank spot" on the archaeological map
of the Arctic.
Archaeological research in Taymyr in 1993 and 1996
A chance to improve this situation occured when the long-term German-Russian
interdisciplinary Taymyr project began in 1993. Although it was expected that rather early sites
would be found there, keeping in mind present knowledge of the regional palaeogeography and
palaeoenvironmental dynamics (Bolshiyanov and Makeyev, 1996), and, especially, the recent
results from the investigations on Zhokhov Island (New Siberian Archipelago, Laptev Sea
Region) where the most ancient site in the Arctic dated to 8,000 BP had been excavated
(Pitul'ko, 1993), the real results were more modest. Thus, in the 1993 field season the most
interesting results were obtained surveying the southerneast coast of the Engelgardt Lake where
Pleistocene (?) fauna remains were exposed in the section of the 1st lake terrace (Pitul'ko,
1994). Numerous fragmented bones were collected in an extremely small area (3-4 m).
Unfortunately it was impossible to identify clearly all of the species because of extreme
fragmentation of bones; nevetheless it is obvious that the bone remains are of animals which
were markedly different in size. Besides non-diagnostic bones some fragments of cervical
vertebrae belonging undoubtedly to mammoth (according to examination by A. K. Kasparov,
Institute for Material Culture History) were found. The composition of species represented by
fragmented bones and a specific character of fragmentation make it possible to assume that, the
assemblage resulted from human activity. Some fragments were collected in cutting the
stratigraphic horizon containing the bone pieces. Carbon dates obtained for the latter - 10,020
+/- 80 (LU 3152) and 9,680 +/- 130 (LU 3153) - to my mind, could be considered as
additional supporting data for the the artificial origin of the complex which occurred near the
PleistocenelHolocene boundary and was contemporaneous to the most favourable period of the
Holocene climatic optimum. The latter is dated in the Asian Arctic from 10,000 to 9,000 BP
and has been repeatedly confirmed by research in the High Arctic - on North Land and New
Siberian archipelagos and on the continental polar territories as well (Bolshiyanov and
Makeyev, 1996; Makeyev et a!., 1979; Makeyev et aI., 1989; Tomskaya, 1989; Boyarskaya et
al., 1989; Kaplina and Lozhkin, 1982; and others). But, unfortunately, there is still no direct
archaeological evidence confirming human habitation in Taymyr earlier than 6,000 BP.
Nevertheless, I believe it will be found some day.
Land-Ocean SYstems in the Siberian Arctic: Dynamics and History
on the natural history of the Taymyr - North Land Islands Region in the Late Quaternary
thatrefutes the idea on an extensive final glaciation (Badinova et aI., 1976; Danilov and Parunin,
1982; Makeyev et aI., 1979; Makeyev et aI., 1989; Bolshiyanov and Makeyev, 1996).
The cultural development of the Taymyr Peninsula beginning from the Mesolithic is thought
to be connected with the influence of cultural traditions spreading westward from modern
Yakutia, although some groups of the West Siberian origin penetrated into the area in the Late
Neolithic, and participated in the formation of the later aboriginal culture(s) also.
Only once Khlobystin did survey territory which could be considered as more or less in the
central part of the peninsula. This took place in 1981, when he surveyed the Verkhnyaya
(Upper) Taymyra River valley as far as its confluence with the Logata River (the latter is the
greatest right tributary on the Upper Taymyra River). Very few artifacts were found during this
survey, and the site location discovered near the Logata River mouth, where artifacts
representing different cultures were collected, was the most important find. Unfortunately, the
location was unsuitable for further excavation because it lacked stratigraphy. But the finds made
there, especially microblades, indicated that the Upper Taymyra valley has been populated since
at least 6,000 BP, as well as the territories bordering central Taymyr. Thus, the central and
northern part of the Taymyr Peninsula still remained a "blank spot" on the archaeological map
of the Arctic.
Archaeological research in Taymyr in 1993 and 1996
A chance to improve this situation occured when the long-term German-Russian
interdisciplinary Taymyr project began in 1993. Although it was expected that rather early sites
would be found there, keeping in mind present knowledge of the regional palaeogeography and
palaeoenvironmental dynamics (Bolshiyanov and Makeyev, 1996), and, especially, the recent
results from the investigations on Zhokhov Island (New Siberian Archipelago, Laptev Sea
Region) where the most ancient site in the Arctic dated to 8,000 BP had been excavated
(Pitul'ko, 1993), the real results were more modest. Thus, in the 1993 field season the most
interesting results were obtained surveying the southerneast coast of the Engelgardt Lake where
Pleistocene (?) fauna remains were exposed in the section of the 1st lake terrace (Pitul'ko,
1994). Numerous fragmented bones were collected in an extremely small area (3-4 m).
Unfortunately it was impossible to identify clearly all of the species because of extreme
fragmentation of bones; nevetheless it is obvious that the bone remains are of animals which
were markedly different in size. Besides non-diagnostic bones some fragments of cervical
vertebrae belonging undoubtedly to mammoth (according to examination by A. K. Kasparov,
Institute for Material Culture History) were found. The composition of species represented by
fragmented bones and a specific character of fragmentation make it possible to assume that, the
assemblage resulted from human activity. Some fragments were collected in cutting the
stratigraphic horizon containing the bone pieces. Carbon dates obtained for the latter - 10,020
+/- 80 (LU 3152) and 9,680 +/- 130 (LU 3153) - to my mind, could be considered as
additional supporting data for the the artificial origin of the complex which occurred near the
PleistocenelHolocene boundary and was contemporaneous to the most favourable period of the
Holocene climatic optimum. The latter is dated in the Asian Arctic from 10,000 to 9,000 BP
and has been repeatedly confirmed by research in the High Arctic - on North Land and New
Siberian archipelagos and on the continental polar territories as well (Bolshiyanov and
Makeyev, 1996; Makeyev et a!., 1979; Makeyev et aI., 1989; Tomskaya, 1989; Boyarskaya et
al., 1989; Kaplina and Lozhkin, 1982; and others). But, unfortunately, there is still no direct
archaeological evidence confirming human habitation in Taymyr earlier than 6,000 BP.
Nevertheless, I believe it will be found some day.