Dmitry Gurulev | Siberian Federal University (original) (raw)

Papers by Dmitry Gurulev

Purpose. Archaeological caches are a special and relatively scarce type of primary sources for st... more Purpose. Archaeological caches are a special and relatively scarce type of primary sources for studying cultures of hunters, fishermen and gatherers. They usually include deliberately selected and concealed items, whose purpose can be studied separately, and present multiple layers of information to reveal. It provides a rich paradigm for further research, both in terms of detailed study and in the context of the topics related. Here we consider caches as a type of archaeological objects in the form of a deliberately selected set of artifacts found both within a site cultural layer and outside it. The term «cache» is used as a broad category for objects that are different in their semantic content and form. On the territory of the Lower Angara region, caches dated to the MesolithicBronze Age became known quite recently, mainly in the course of modern research. In total, according to the published materials, there are 14 such objects known, which are represented by different
sets of items made of stone, bone and antler. During the excavations of Prospikhinskaya Shivera-IV complex in 2009–2011, two compact sets of items interpreted as caches were found. The purpose of this work is to analyze the caches in the context of their functional and technological specificity.
Results. The sets found were located on the periphery of the cultural layer in a zone with not numerous finds scattered without much concentration. According to stratigraphic data and the composition of the caches, their chronology is estimated as the Neolithic Age. The first cache is represented by a so-called «tool kit» which includes various items made of stone and ceramics (total of 35 items). The tools from the cache were analyzed according to the work done on them. The tools without traces of use are represented by a preform of a wedge-shaped core, an unfinished adze, an artifact of an unknown function with two opposite protrusions-spikes (treatment of an elastic cord?) and two small rocks fragments. The main part of the cache set is woodworking tools (25 pieces), which are mainly flakes of non-secondary treatment. The tools of broad functionality were used for scraping, planning, sawing, cutting, drilling, and grinding. There are also some stone tools, a small hammerstone and two groundstones. The individual component of the cache is a fragment of one third of a small vessel of the Aplin type net-impressed pottery typical for the Northern Angara region. The items were presumably placed in some kind of a compact organic receptacle. The second
cache consists of unfinished and ready-made adzes with lugs (the tip of an ice pick?), which demonstrate successive production stages of making chopping tools of one type. Caches of chopping tools are serially represented at Holocene sites of the Lower Angara region, in particular, and Northern Eurasia as a whole. It allows us to consider these objects as a specific multicultural type of caches.
Conclusion. Caches as an evidence of economic activity should be studied in the broad context of the behavior and subsistence patterns of the Neolithic people of the Lower Angara region. A special study of stone tools found as caches of the Holocene hunters and gatherers of the Lower Angara region is just beginning and requires further development.

The paper considers different ages pottery complex and stone tools of Ust’-Kova site cultural lay... more The paper considers different ages pottery complex and stone tools of Ust’-Kova site cultural layer 2
(was excavated in 2010). The basis of pottery complex is vessels mainly simple shapes decorated by a lines of
rounded indentations or «pearls» of Bronze Age. To a lesser extent presented heterogeneous net-impressed Neolithic
pottery and single specimens of Middle Ages and Modern Age vessels. Primary knapping of the industry is
characterized by microblade technology and probably specialized production of flake blanks. The specificity of
the tool assemblage is the predominance of pieces made on non-lamellar blanks. The industry has analogies and
differences with the complexes of the region associated with the «pearl-ribbed» pottery.

The article describes the peculiar category of stone artifacts - thinned preforms found in the No... more The article describes the peculiar category of stone artifacts - thinned preforms found in the North Angara region. Earlier, in the studies dedicated to the stone industries, pieces of this type were not specially considered. Analyzed group of pieces were found in the sites Pashina, Ust'-Kova, Ust'-Kova I. Age of finds on available data is defined in the broad chronological framework of the Neolithic (Late Mesolithic?) - Bronze Age. Pieces are made mainly on a flattened platy and parallelepiped-shaped blocks of raw materials or a fragments of sedimentary rocks (aleurolite, sandstone). A characteristic feature of these pieces treatment is very acute flaking, usually, one of the faces from platforms located on the end faces of piece with use, presumably, indirect percussion technique. As a result performed evenly flattening one of the faces and thickness reduction with virtually no change in width. Given the differences in metric parameters of the pieces is to suggest a different purpose of the blanks. Presumably the pieces in question served as stadial form in the manufacture of various types of tools, in particular four-sided axes and adzes, bifaces, and others. According to the authors, this category of pieces demonstrates primary treatment of raw material blocks and preparation of preforms for various purposes by their thinning. The generality of the principles of treatment and serially of the pieces allow us to consider them as a separate category in the typological scheme of Holocene stone industries of Northern Angara region.

The Bronze Age is currently one of the least studied stages of ancient history of Northern Angara... more The Bronze Age is currently one of the least studied stages of ancient history of Northern Angara region. Requires addressing issues of the chronology and characteristics of material culture of the Bronze Age and the nature of culture transformations on the borders with the Neolithic and early Iron Age. In modern archaeological research the main cultural and chronological marker of the Bronze Age, among materials of site's complexes, serves distinctive pottery with «ribbed» surface and ornamentation in the form of «pearls» belt. Which is demonstrates а obvious morphological uniformity. That allows its consideration on this, the initial, phase of research as an independent regional pottery stratum. The authors propose to call it «atalonga stratum», by title of the site on the river Ilim, where for the first time in the North Angara region was found this shape of pottery. Areal similar «pearl-ribbed» pottery is a large area of Middle and South Siberia. Not numerous data of the absolute dating of the sites of the North Angara region suggest existence of here «pearl-ribbed» pottery in the range of ~ 3600 – 3000 years ago (Late Bronze Age). Questions of an earlier emergence, including the chronological relationship with the Neolithic pottery traditions, and the upper age limit, for are currently, remain open and require confirmation by new evidence. Due to the small number clean settlement complexes and pottery in burials of the Northern Angara region Bronze Age difficult decision of the existence at this time other types of pottery.

In the article analyzes grinded stone knives which were found in the Northern Angara region. Pres... more In the article analyzes grinded stone knives which were found in the Northern Angara region. Presents the morphological characteristics, typology and dating of the tools. Based on the analysis of materials of the Northern Angara region and other Siberian regions are shown differences in the time of existence of different knives types. Also considers the problems of determining tools functional role and features of utilization.

The Siberian Mesolithic issue is a controversial point for contemporary archaeology. Primarily, t... more The Siberian Mesolithic issue is a controversial point for contemporary archaeology. Primarily, the outline of varied materials is significant. The paper draws on review of mesolithic sites in the Northen Angara region, a brief description of local industries. The mines of information on archaeology of mesolithic of the Northen Angara region are limited, however, there are a list of leading sites such as Ust'-Kova I, Chadobets, Ust'-Edarma II and Island Listvenichniy (which are dated 8500-7000 years ago (?)). There are no conclusive early-to-middle mesolithic complexes in the Northen Angara. Recently discovered data in the area of the water reservoir of Boguchanskaya hydroelectric power station will allow to re-analyze the problem of the Mesolithic of Northen Angara region and its cultural specificity.