Khengerekte-Sukhotino-An Upper Paleolithic Culture in Transbaikalia

Abstract

During the studies at the Barun-Alan-1 stratified site in Western Transbaikalia, a lithic industry was described, providing a basis for a new archaeological culture, termed Khengerekte. Similar materials were excavated from nearby sites such as Sloistaya Skala and Khenger-Tyn-3 Svyatilishche. A comparative analysis of the Khengerekte industry of Barun-Alan-1 and that from the Sukhotino-4 in southern Chita, Eastern Tranbaikalia, reveals that most of their typological groups are quite similar. On that basis, the culture’s distribution area was extended, and the culture itself was renamed Khengerekte-Sukhotino, spanning ~400 km from Barun-Alan-1 in the west to Unenker in the east. The calendar age of excavated layers of key Khengerekte-Sukhotino sites, Barun-Alan-1 and Sukhotino-4, was estimated at 12–33 ka BP. Their lithic industry, based mainly on microblades, is described. Bifaces, unifaces, and high side-scrapers are common. The origin of the Khengerekte-Sukhotino culture is an open question.