V. N. Zenin 1, S. V. Leshchinsky 2, K. V. Zolotarev 3, P. M. Grutes 4, M.-Kh. Need 4

1 Institute of Archeology and Ethnography SB RAS

17 Akademika Lavrentieva Ave., Novosibirsk, 630090, Russia

E-mail: vzenin@archaeology.nsc. ru

2 Tomsk State University

36 Lenin Ave., Tomsk, 634050, Russia

E-mail: sl@ggf.tsu.ru

3 Budker Institute of Nuclear Physics SB RAS

11 Akademika Lavrentieva Ave., Novosibirsk, 630090, Russia

E-mail: Zolotarev@inp.nsk.ru

4 Leibniz Isotope Research Laboratory, Christian Albrecht University

Leibniz Laboratory, Christian Albrecht University

Max-Eyth-Str. 11, Kiel, 24118, Germany

E-mail: pgrootes@leibniz. uni-kiel. de

Introduction

The first archaeological materials at the Lugovskoe locality were obtained in 1999 during the collection of fossil fauna bones (Pavlov and Mashchenko, 2001). During the inspection of the small collection, small fragments, flakes, a plate with a retouch of the proximal edge and two large products were identified - a quarzite pebble bump and a two-site one-sided nucleus made of a gray fine-grained sandstone boulder. The discovered artifacts suggested the possibility of the existence of a Paleolithic parking lot at the location of mammoth fauna. To clarify this issue, the Museum of Nature and Man (Khanty-Mansiysk) in September 2002 involved V. N. Zenin and S. V. Leshchinsky as experts. Morphological study of fossils of large mammals was carried out by E. N. Mashchenko (Paleontological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow) and A. F. Pavlov (Museum of Nature and Man). The number of participants allowed us to start interdisciplinary studies of the locality (Pavlov et al., 2002; Maschenko et al., 2003).

Methodology, research objectives and factual material

To organize the planned multi-year comprehensive research, a master plan of the location (M 1:1000) and a plan of workings (M 1:500) were drawn up. The basis is a line of reference points-pickets (from 0 to 45 with a step of 10 m), which runs from the Maramka channel along the stream with bone-bearing deposits. The relative heights of each reference point were determined to accurately record the findings, link the mine workings, and correlate the sections. Razmet scheme-

This work was financially supported by the Museum of Nature and Man of the Department of Culture and Art of the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug, Russian Foundation for Basic Research (project N 03 - 05 - 65252), the Program of the Presidium of the Russian Academy of Sciences "Ethno-cultural interaction in Eurasia "(N 29.1.1) and the grant of the President of the Russian Federation (N MK-3291.2004.5).

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Fig. 1. Plan of workings in the Lugovskoe locality.

1 - numbers of marking pickets (distances between pickets of 10 m each); 2-workings: a-up to 2002 with approximate boundaries, b - up to 2002 with clear boundaries, c-2002; 3 - numbers of workings: a-up to 2002, b-2002 (indicating observation points); 4 - site of washing of bottom sediments of the stream; 5 - area of continuous distribution of bottom sediments Sartan-Holocene age; 6 - contour of the prospective area of the location for the discovery of fossils; 7-contour of the water surface as of 23.09.2002.

The ci is linked to the reference benchmark 45-level of the Khanty-Mansiysk - Nyagan highway (Figure 1)*.

In relation to Lugovsky, a number of priority tasks were identified, which were solved through field and laboratory geoarchaeological, paleontological and stratigraphic works. The focus of geoarchaeological research was on:

1) establishing the boundaries of the distribution of archaeological materials within the mammoth fauna locality;

2) elucidation of the stratigraphic position of the stone inventory and its relationship with the remains of fossil mammals;

3) determination of age, morphological and technical-typological parameters of inventory.

High water content of sediments within the locality (Fig. 2) excluded excavations, so the main part of the archaeological collection was obtained (at the final stage of field research) by washing the stream sediments to a depth of 0.3 m from the bottom sediment surface in the local section (7×1 m) of the channel between pickets 18 and 19 - at the place where the first Paleolithic finds were collected (Fig. II).

2, III), A. F. Pavlov and E. N. Mashchenko extracted a mammoth vertebra with a hole from the tip, in which fragments of insert plates were preserved. For the territory of Eurasia, this is the second find (and the first in Asia) of this kind - a mammoth bone with damage caused by human throwing weapons later-

* The article provides a combined plan that shows the main parameters of workings. The document may contain inaccuracies, since information about works before 2002 was provided orally to the authors of the article.

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Fig. 2. Location Lugovskoe.

I - view of the location from the north-west; II - the site of washing the bottom sediments of the stream (indicated by arrows); III - the location of the vertebra with a hole (indicated by an arrow).

the Paleolithic period (Praslov, 1995; Pavlov et al., 2002; Zenin et al., 2003). The first results of special laboratory studies of the unique find are presented in this paper.

Geoarchaeological studies

Stratigraphic situation. Spatially, the Lugovskoe locality is confined to the marginal part I of the erosion-accumulative over-floodplain terrace of the Irtyshobskaya Maramka channel. The visible part of the terrace basement is mainly represented by massive bluish-or greenish-gray very dense viscous clay (about 1.2 m), which turns into a brownish-gray thin-layered clay (more than 1 m). The age of the clays is tentatively estimated at the end of the Kazantsev - Ermakov period (110 (?) - 50 Ka BP). The upper part of the section is represented by a thickness (up to 3 m) of horizontal and wavy-layered, sometimes massive clay sands with rare interbeds of brown-brown clays, as well as modern soil (up to 0.1 m).

Fossils and cultural remains are confined to the bottom sediments of a small stream that cuts through the body of the First above-flood terrace in the transverse direction and flows into the channel. The depth of the erosion incision is more than 5 m from the surface of the terrace, with the absolute height of the latter being 25-27 m. The increased erosion of the terrace body causes the visual similarity of the subaqueous deposits of the stream with the rocks of the basement, with the exception of textural features. So, in the section of bottom sediments from top to bottom traced:

1) a modern brownish-gray silty sediment, very viscous (the consistency of liquid sour cream), with an abundance of plant detritus and small fragments of mammalian bones and teeth. Power up to 0.2 m;

2) thin -, horizontal -, less often oblique-and wavy-layered sandy-clay deposits, represented by layers (up to 5 cm) of bluish-gray and gray, less often brownish clay, peat detritus, etc.

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Fig. 3. Stone tools.

gray sand. In some places there are small lenses of peat (up to 0.2 m thick). The visible thickness of the layer is more than 1 m.

At least two bone-bearing horizons are associated with the second layer, from which several thousand bones and teeth (whole and fragments) of large mammals, mainly mammoths (> 98% of the total number) were obtained. The geological situation and the results of radiocarbon dating of fossils (16 samples) indicate the Late Spartan-Early Holocene age (about 16.5-9.5 Ka BP) of Layer 2 deposits (Pavlov et al., 2002; Orlova et al., 2004)*. Two 14 C-dates (about 18.2 and 30 Ka BP), as well as numerous fragments of bones and teeth in layer 1 clearly indicate the redeposition of part of the material.

Stone tools. The archaeological collection obtained by washing the sediments of layer 2 is represented by 271 artifacts, including fragments (45 specimens) and scales (73 specimens). The inventory was accompanied by numerous fragments of mammoth tooth plates, small bone fragments and single samples of bone charcoal. The petrographic composition of the collection (macroscopic definition) is quite diverse: quartz, chalcedony, quartzite, jasper, hornbills, less often sandstone, shale and igneous rocks. Areas with pebbly and gall crusts were found in 26 articles.

Nucleoid forms - 6 specimens: a single-site one-sided nucleus on a primary cleavage (Fig. 3, 1), a single-site one-sided nucleus on a pebble fragment (Fig. 3, 2), a two-site one-sided nucleus with a bi-longitudinal system of plate removal (Fig. 3, 3), and three extremely depleted micronuclei. The maximum size of the nuclei does not exceed 4.5 cm.

There are two types of technical chipping : adjustments to the impact pad (2 copies) and the core chipping front (11 copies). Among the latter, there is a group with a bipedal splitting system (6 specimens). Lamellar forms - 39 specimens. Most of them are chalcedony (21 specimens) and only one is quartz. Whole plates of 9 copies. Fragments are represented by proximal (18 specimens), medial (7 specimens) and distal (5 specimens) parts. Average plate size: 23×10×3 mm. Three types of faceting are recorded on the dorsal surfaces: longitudinal (27 specimens), longitudinal-marginal (8 specimens), and bipedal (4 specimens). Judging by the residual areas of the primary crust on plates with a longitudinal-marginal dorsal cut, nodules - tiles (7 specimens) and much less pebbles-were mainly used for chipping the plates. Perhaps this indicates a certain sorting of raw materials - potential nuclei for the production of plate chips. Among the sites, smooth (12 specimens) and linear (7 specimens) predominate; faceted ones are relatively rare (4 specimens). The eaves of the platforms were removed with small chips (4 copies) and abrasive (10 copies). Seven of the plates have traces of being in the fire, and five have been retouched by recycling.

* See also the article by S. V. Leshchinsky, E. N. Mashchenko, E. A. Ponomareva and others in this issue of the journal.

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Flakes - 55 copies. The raw materials for their manufacture were mainly coarse-grained rocks (26 specimens) and quartz (17 specimens), less often chalcedony (12 specimens). Average dimensions: 22 × 20×5 mm. On a number of chips, areas with a pebble (14 specimens) and rough tile (4 specimens) crust were preserved, which may indicate some preference for pebble materials or the absence of deliberate selection of bases for chipping flakes. The cut of the backs is dominated by longitudinal (25 copies) and orthogonal (24 copies) variants. Primary and dorsally smooth chips are equally present (3 specimens each). Indeterminate (19 specimens), smooth (21 specimens), and crusty (7 specimens) chip impact sites are widely represented. Using retouching (two or more facets) eight cases were noted in the design of ad platforms. Two flakes have a recycling retouch.

Tools - 40 copies (14.8 % of the total number of the collection), of which 25 are made on plates (62.5 %). In the manufacture of tools, chalcedony, quartzite and jasper dam were preferred. There are 20 retouched plates, including seven with facial retouching along one longitudinal edge (Fig. 3, 7, 8, 10; 4, 25, 27, 28), on two - six (fig. 4, 3, 9, 11, 13, 19, 23), by two longitudinal and distal edges - one (Fig. 4, 2), one longitudinal and distal edge - also one (Fig. 4, 4), along the distal edge - three (Fig. 4, 12, 21, 24), with opposite retouching - two (figs. 4, 14, 26). There are five guns with a dedicated retouching spike (see Fig. 3, 4, 6, 11; 4, 6, 15). Some of them could serve as punctures. There are three chisel-shaped tools (see Fig. 3, 5, 9; 4, 17). Scrapers are presented in 4 copies. Two of them end on retouched plates (see Figs. 4, 7, 22). A notable feature is the product that combines a scraper blade and a retouched spike (see Figs. 4, 8). The other scraper has an asymmetrically positioned main blade. It is complemented by the concave longitudinal edge of the tool finished with edge retouching (see Figs. 3, 12). There are two pieces with incisive chips: one is made on the fragment of a chisel-shaped (?) tool (see Fig. 4, 10), the other has two blades located at opposite corners of the plate chip (see Fig. 4, 5). The tool with a retouched notch is designed on a small nucleoid fragment (see Fig.4, 18). Similar fragments are marked with two-sided retouching on the local part of the edge (see Figs. 3, 14) and one-sided (see Figs. 4, 7). Three copies are represented by flakes with retouching (see Fig. 3, 13; 4, 16, 20).

The industry as a whole is assessed as small-plate with a well-developed technique of edge retouching, incisive chipping and undercoating. It completely lacks the methods of splitting from the end of the core, there are no pebble tools and scrapers characteristic of the South Siberian Paleolithic. The age of the industry, taking into account the above, is no more than 16.5 thousand radiocarbon years.

Fig. 4. Stone tools.

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Mammoth vertebra with signs of hunter damage

General description of the find. The thoracic vertebra (Fig. 5, I) of the adult Mammuthus primigenius Blum, with a broken spinous process, was found 60 m northwest of the Paleolithic material concentration area (see Fig. 1) among a cluster of other bones*. No stone products were found in this cluster.

The ordinal number of the vertebra, according to the authors (for comparison, the skeleton of the Shandrin mammoth was used), is in the range N 10-15 of the thoracic region (more likely-N 11-13)**.

The penetrating hole (cone-shaped in longitudinal section) with inserts of light green quartzite stuck in the bone is located on the right lateral surface of the vertebral body, at the level of its middle part (Fig. 5). The entrance hole is oval in plan (10×7 mm), with a clear contour, which may indicate a tight fit of the tip.

The absence of signs of healing indicates a simultaneous bone damage and death of the animal. This is confirmed by the preserved fragments of inserts along the edges of the hole, tightly stuck in the vertebral body and remaining in it after the tip was removed (or fell out) from the wound. Their location indicates the use of a tip with two grooves, into which the insert plates were inserted. The width of the insert is 7.4 mm, the thickness is 2.5 mm, and the longitudinal edge attached to the groove of the tip is corrected with a semi-circular (up to 45°) retouching.

Based on the available data, it is extremely difficult to perform a correct reconstruction of the hunting tool, despite the fact that the tip itself is not detected. In this case, we can only refer to known samples of Paleolithic tools with similar morphological and technological parameters and, as we believe, functional properties. The most typical examples of such products are two-phase tips with plate inserts from different time sites - Talitsky (18700 ± 200 bp) in the Urals and Chernoozerye II (14500 ± 500 bp) in the Irtysh (Fig. 6) [Gvozdover, 1952; Shcherbakova, 1994; Genin and Petrin, 1985]. - more than 1000 km apart from each other. These tools differ in the size and shape of the tips, as well as in the size and morphology of the stone inserts.

5. Mammoth vertebra with a hole. I - right lateral side of the vertebra; II - view of the hole in the normal position of the vertebra; III-view of the hole with a 180°rotation of the vertebra.

Fig. 6. Insert guns. I - tip from the Talitsky site; II-dagger-tip from the Chernoozerye II site (according to [Shcherbakova, 1994; Gening Petrin, 1985]).

* For the conditions of occurrence, see the article by S. V. Leshchinsky, E. N. Mashchenko, E. A. Ponomareva, and others in this issue of the journal.

** E. N. Mashchenko believes that this is the 7th-9th vertebra and belonged to a 23-24 - year-old female (Maschenko, 2004).

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Radiocarbon AMS analysis. The radiocarbon age of the thoracic vertebra was determined at the Leibniz Isotope Research Laboratory (Christian Albrecht University, Kiel. Germany) [Zeninetal., 2003]. For analysis, a fragment weighing several grams was separated from the vertebra. It was first cleaned mechanically under a microscope. The sample was then treated with acetone, washed with demineralized water, and demineralized in 1% HCl. Then, to remove humic acids for an hour, it was extracted by adding 1% NaOH (at room temperature), washed and acidified with 1% HCl. After removing the inorganic material, the collagen was dissolved as gelatin for a day in 1.6 ml of H2o (at 90 °C and pH = 3). The insoluble fraction was passed through a silver filter with 0.45 microns of pores. The gelatin solution was dried in quartz tubes, and the gelatin was burned as a "bone AMS sample". The insoluble fraction (bone residues) remaining on the filter was also examined. Both fractions were burned to C2 in closed quartz tubes at 900 °C together with CuO and silver wool. CO 2 samples were recovered N2 using iron powder (about 2 mg as a catalyst). Resulting mixture (carbon/iron) it was pressed in the form of a tablet in a special mold. The conditional 14C age was calculated according to the method [Stuiver and Polach, 1977], adjusted for Δ13C for isotopic fractionation. A radiocarbon date of 13465 ± 50 BP (KJA-19643) was obtained from the isolated collagen. 5.1 mg of carbon was extracted from the collagen, which is significantly more than the 1 mg recommended for measurement accuracy. Thus, the result is reliable.

Additionally, the bone residue on the filter was dated, but it turned out to be extremely small (0.03 mg of carbon was isolated), and the isotopic age of such a sample cannot be reliably determined. Nevertheless, it was determined and amounted to about 9,000 radiocarbon years (with an error of 1100 years). Experience shows that very small samples often give a much lower age. Thus, this additional result indirectly confirms the age of the bone collagen fraction. It is important to note that the collagen content in the test sample was 23 % (approximately as in fresh bone), which indicates excellent preservation of the material. Apparently, since the burial, the fossils have been in a frozen state for a longer time.

Using " CALIBB rev 4.3 " [Stuiver et al., 1998]calculated the average calibrated (calendar) age of the sample under study-14,225 years B.C. Thus, the collision of a human and a mammoth could have occurred-16,200 years B.C.-at the beginning of the second half of the Sartan cryochron (Fig.

X-ray and tomographic examination. When studying the mammoth vertebra, a number of questions arose regarding the reconstruction of the human hunting process for such large animals. It was necessary, without destroying the vertebra, to determine the nature of the injury, to find out the trajectory and depth of penetration of the tip. In addition, we were interested in possible features of the structure of bone tissue.

A three-dimensional tomographic reconstruction of the vertebra was performed at the Budker Institute of Nuclear Physics (INP). Initially, the Sibir low-dose X-ray system developed at the INP was used to make a series of X-rays to determine the exact position of the hole (Fig. 8). However, its low-contrast image did not allow us to accurately determine the shape of the cavity and the nature of vertebral damage.

7. Calibrated radiocarbon age of the vertebra.

8. Radiographs of the vertebra (positive). I - left view; II-front view (arrows indicate the hole mark).

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9. Tomographic cross-sections (positive) of the hole area.

Three-dimensional reconstruction of the cavity shape was reduced to sequential reconstruction of flat tomographic sections in the area of the hole (Figure 9 shows a sample of four sections). During the rotation of the sample around the vertical axis, X-rays passed through the object were recorded. The sections were cut in vertical increments of 0.4 mm. A total of 50 tomographic cross-sections were reconstructed, and a three-dimensional array of data on the X-ray density of the object was obtained in the area of the hole with a height of 20 mm, which overlaps the area necessary for correct analysis. Standard visualization tools for these data (cross-sections, isosurfaces, etc.) allow us to examine in detail the internal structure of the cavity surface, the shape of the remains of inserts, the porosity of bone tissue, the nature of seals, and other parameters that may be useful for reconstructing the features of the episode.

Tomographic sections of the vertebral body in the area of the hole (Fig. 9) clearly show the stone insert, the hole itself, and traces of small bone compaction as a result of tip penetration. It is important that the seal in the spongy tissue appeared exclusively along the hole, without affecting the area of" action " of the blunted distal part of the tip. A similar pattern is observed in X-ray images (see Fig. 8), where the compaction is clearly traced only by 2/3 of the length of the hole in the upper part and by 1/3-in the lower part (relative to the normal position of the vertebra in the skeleton). A possible explanation for this is severe bone osteoporosis. Many works on veterinary medicine are devoted to the problem of this animal disease. Moreover, one of the constant external signs of osteoporosis, noted by all researchers without exception for more than 150 years of study, is softening and brittleness of bones that are easily cut with a knife (Logginov, 1890; Dumperov, 1939; Cherkasova, 1954; Akhmadeev et al., 2002).

Tomographic layers show a clear reduction in the number of bone beams (trabeculae) in the vertebral body with simultaneous thickening in the peripheral zone of the medial region and expansion of the bone marrow cavities, which in the projection acquire a fusiform (up to 12×2 mm) shape, but often a sinuous or coarse-looped (up to 14×5 mm or more) appearance. Porosity is particularly pronounced in the medial part of the vertebral body (see Fig. 9), which is why on the radiograph the hole is observed only near the surface of the bone. Osteoporosis is also indicated by a very thin, sometimes completely disappearing compact layer, which is distinguished on the radiograph by a sharply outlined contour line (see Figure 8).

The revealed X-ray picture also indicates other changes, including sclerotic ones. Thus, in the posterior part of the vertebral body, premature subchondral sclerosis (ossification) is clearly expressed in the form of dark parallel lines with a total thickness of more than 3 mm and a length of up to 44 mm (see Figure 9). Data on osteological material from the foci of Kashin-Beck disease and on veterinary radiology allow us to interpret it as a clinical sign of a previously severe rickets (Damperov, 1939; Vishnyakov, 1940). This also indicates atrophy of the epiphyseal cartilage, which may explain the annular (intermittent along the periphery) growth of the epiphyses with the preservation of "gaps" from 0.5 to 3 mm. Apparently, the hyaline cartilage on the joints of the costal heads was also affected by atrophy (defects in the form of pits and bumps are noticeable on the bone surface-see Fig. 5, I). In addition, a change in connective tissue is recorded - ossification of the longitudinal ligament on the ventral surface of the vertebra in the form of a longitudinal scalloped ridge, which is reflected on the radiograph by the mastoid "outgrowth" (see Fig. 8, II).

The results of X-ray examination completed the pathoanatomical picture of the location, where osteodystrophic disorders were detected at more than 50% of the total area. %

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10. Tomographic cross-section of the hole and variants of geometric measurements (mm).

11. Volumetric tomographic models of the hole.

12. Angles of penetration of the tip into the vertebral body. I - front view; II - top view. The hole outline is shown in blue, and the centerline is shown in red.

mammoth bones*. Thus, signs of a musculoskeletal system disease (at least osteoporosis) in the affected animal, the symptoms are quite obvious.

The severity of the mammoth wound and the depth of the hole in the vertebra depended mainly on the impact of the hunting tool. This force consists of the speed of flight and the characteristics of the gun (mass, material, shape of the tip, etc.), sufficient to overcome obstacles - wool, skin, fat and muscle tissue. Based on the established fact of the disease of the killed mammoth, it should be assumed that the maximum impact resistance was provided by the skin, since in osteoporosis it undergoes less changes, while muscle atrophy and lack of subcutaneous fat are very often observed. The last obstacle in the way of the hunting tool was a vertebra, the porosity of which reduced the resistance of the bone. This circumstance should be taken into account in reconstructions of hunting processes.

Reconstruction of the mammoth hunting process. Tomographic sections and three-dimensional images make it possible to accurately determine the maximum depth of the hole (up to 23.5 mm), the size of fragments of inserts, recreate the parameters of the distal part of the tip and make geometric measurements of any part of the hole, in any section (Figs. 10, 11).

* See the article by S. V. Leshchinsky, E. N. Mashchenko, E. A. Ponomareva and others in this issue of the journal.

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Fig. 13. Graphical model of the flight path of a hunting tool. The large arrow indicates the trajectory option in the "standing" position of the hunter, and the small arrow indicates the "kneeling" position of the hunter.

The initial X-ray data and the results of tomographic examination of the vertebra made it possible to determine with high accuracy the main parameters of the impact trajectory (Fig. 12). The angle of deflection of the hole from the frontal plane of the vertebra is 7-9°, and from the cross - sectional plane-12°. Therefore, the throw was made somewhat from below and in front of the animal, assuming that the mammoth was standing at the time of the impact. Taking this version as one of the possible ones, we tried to determine the distance between the hunter and the prey.

To construct a graphical model of the gun's flight path (Fig. 13), the following parameters were taken:*: 1) the maximum height of the mammoth body is 215-230 cm (Maschenko, 2004); 2) the centerline of the vertebra is located at a relative height of 190-200 cm; 3) the average height of the hunter is from 150 to 165 cm; 4) positionally, the hunter and the animal are on the same horizontal plane; 5) the use of a spear or dart (it is considered more likely to be used manually or using a spear thrower) in the hunter's "standing" position; 6) the use of a spear or dart (using a spear thrower) in the "kneeling" position is allowed, but less likely. The created model allows you to set the distance between the mammoth and the standing hunter in the range of 2-5 m; when the position "from the knee" - no more than 8 m. Thus, if these conditions are met, it can be assumed that the mammoth was hunted at a fairly close distance.

The presented model demonstrates one of the possible hunting options, and the least safe for the hunter when the animal responds. However, taking into account the fact that the remains of animals at the site are located in viscous clay rocks** and most of the bones have obvious destructive changes (including a punctured vertebra), it is assumed that the hunt for a mammoth weakened by the disease is stuck in the swell. It is also possible that the blow was inflicted on the animal lying on its left side. In this case, the distance to the victim could vary widely-from the minimum distance (at point-blank range) up to 20 m (an increase in the interval is unlikely due to orographic conditions of the area).

As you can see, the results of comprehensive studies of the Lugovskoe locality allow us to consider various scenarios of direct hunting for mammoths. The first attempt at such a reconstruction was made by the paleontologist E. N. Mashchenko (2004; Maschenko, 2004).

Discussion

The available amount of geoarchaeological information on Lugovsky is very limited and does not go beyond the scope of reconnaissance studies. As preliminary results, we note the following:

- to date, the locality is the northernmost Paleolithic site in Western Siberia, located at an extremely low absolute altitude of 20.0-20.5 m;

- in terms of composition and morphology, the stone inventory belongs to the final stage of the Late Paleolithic, which does not contradict the stratigraphic position and the age of the accompanying fossils (less than 16.5 thousand radiocarbon years).;

- Paleolithic materials are spatially related to the natural location of mammoth fauna;

* The parameters are not strict and can be changed if necessary.

** See the article by S. V. Leshchinsky, E. N. Mashchenko, E. A. Ponomareva and others in this issue of the journal.

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- for the first time in Asia, real evidence of direct hunting of a mammoth by Paleolithic man (direct influence aimed at killing the animal) has been revealed.

The results obtained address three major problems of the Paleolithic history of Northern Eurasia : paleogeographic and paleoecological conditions of settlement of the northern territories, the origins and dynamics of the development of the Paleolithic culture of the ancient population, as well as the nature of relations with representatives of the Pleistocene megafauna.

The geographical position of the locality indicates that the north of Western Siberia, at least in the second half of the Sartan Cryochron (16.5 - 10.0 thousand radiocarbon years ago), was quite suitable for the settlement of Paleolithic hunter-gatherers. Rather harsh climatic conditions were overcome by man very successfully. Another feature is the location of the research object in the low-lying part of the plain, which indicates the drainage of landscapes. Thus, geoarchaeological data follow paleontological and stratigraphic data.* They indicate the absence of the Sartan-age Mansi glacial dam lake, which is so often reconstructed in the literature on Pleistocene paleogeography (Volkov et al., 1978; Arkhipov and Volkova, 1994; Volkov and Orlova, 2000; etc.).

The Lugovsky plate industry demonstrates a well-developed technique of spin splitting, edge retouching and manufacturing of insert tools. A wide variety of raw materials were used: semi-rolled rubble, boulders, nodules and pebbles. According to preliminary data, the nearest modern sources of such material are located 10 km north of the location - on the banks of the Ob River (mainly on the right bank). Even small pebbles are absent in the beds of watercourses and rare low-thickness outcrops of the immediate environment. Nevertheless, the location of the monument bordering the floodplain suggests that the sources of raw materials could have been moraines and tillages of the Samara glaciation (Middle Neo-Pleistocene), extending more than 100 km south of Lugovsky. Taking into account the geodynamics of the last 20 thousand years, we can safely say that in the area of research, the Late Sartan Ob, as well as its left tributaries, constantly produced psephite material, so the sources of the necessary raw materials could be located in close proximity. Unfortunately, today almost all of these outcrops (as well as probable Paleolithic sites in the floodplain of the Late Sartan Ob) are buried under powerful Holocene formations**.

The morphological appearance and typological characteristics of the inventory show a certain similarity with the Late Paleolithic complexes of the Urals (Talitsky site, Kapov and Ignatievskaya caves, Zotinsky grotto). (Petrin, 1992; Shcherbakova, 1994), the Irtysh basin (Gari, Troitskaya I, Chernoozerye II), and the eastern Barabinskaya Plain (Volchya Griva) (Gening and Petrin, 1985; Shirokov et al., 1996; Serikov, 2000; Zenin, 2002). Insert tips with two grooves are known no closer than 635 km from Lugovsky. As mentioned above, this is the site of Talitsky and Chernoozerye p. With a chronological gap of approximately 4 thousand radiocarbon years, they are united by the lamellar orientation of the industry and advanced bone processing technology. There is a significant difference in the design of the inserts: at the Talitsky parking lot, plates with a blunted retouching edge were used, and in Chernoozerye II - plates without secondary finishing. Lugovsky does not have plates with a blunted vertical retouching edge, but steep (>45°) and semi-steep retouching was widely used, including in the manufacture of inserts stuck in the vertebra.

The initial stage of archaeological research of Lugovsky does not allow us to trace direct cultural connections of its inhabitants with representatives of Paleolithic cultures of the Urals or the south of Western Siberia. We observe only a certain similarity of the industry in terms of technological parameters and typological similarity of certain categories of tools and nuclei. As one of the options, we can assume that Paleolithic groups from the Urals penetrated the territory of the Siberian Uvals (north of Lugovsky) and further east and made hunting routes to the lower reaches of the Irtysh and the left-bank regions of the Ob region. So far, no Paleolithic sites have been found in these areas, but Lugovsky's materials allow us to hope for their identification in the future.

The fact that the Lugovsky Paleolithic artefacts are confined to the natural location of fossil megafauna probably indicates the preservation of long-standing traditions of human visits to such sites and/or placing their sites in their immediate vicinity. Places of concentration of animals (especially mammoths), whether they were areas of watering holes, river crossings, natural traps or salt marshes, could not but attract Paleolithic hunters. Just such natural objects allowed (and still allow today)

* See the article by S. V. Leshchinsky, E. N. Mashchenko, E. A. Ponomareva and others in this issue of the journal.

** See the article by S. V. Leshchinsky, E. N. Mashchenko, E. A. Ponomareva and others in this issue of the journal.

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hunters should produce large herbivores regularly, at a certain time, with minimal physical costs and risk to life. Permanent hunting sites made it possible to minimize efforts to organize it, track down animals, and transport prey to their habitats. There was no need for hunters to regularly make long-distance routes in search of scattered groups or solitary animals, organize mass corral hunts, or prepare prey for future use. It was enough to know the places (and their signs) periodically visited by animals, and be ready for a meeting - in this case, the potential prey itself came to the hunter. In addition, the very high percentage of enzootic diseases of large fossil mammals (primarily mammoths) revealed in recent years allows us to speak with confidence about a large death rate of animals in the Late Karginian-Sartan period on the territory of the West Siberian Plain (Leshchinsky, 2001; Leshchinsky, 2001; Derevyanko et al., 2003; Leshchinsky et al., 2003; Leshchinsky and Burkanova, 2003]*. At a very low average annual temperature, this created favorable conditions for the preservation (freezing) of carrion and its possible use in writing. Thus, the relative abundance of food resources in general could compensate for the negative impact of natural and climatic factors and contributed to the successful adaptation of people and their development of new territories for their habitation at the end of the final period of the Neo-Pleistocene (Sartan cryochron).

Did the hunting weapons of Paleolithic man allow for the extraction of mammoths? Factual evidence of this kind in Kostenki I [Praslov, 1995] and Lugovanov give grounds for an affirmative answer to this question, despite the few examples. How difficult and dangerous was the mammoth hunt? If they are well-organized groups or large, vigorous individuals, then such hunting could be both deadly and economically unprofitable (Derevyanko et al., 2003). The supposed super-specialization and "heroism" of hunting groups aimed at the extraction of such mammoths [Puchkov, 2001], if possible, were rather an exception [Anikovich and Anisyutkin, 2001 - 2002].

A completely different situation could develop if they hunted sedentary animals weakened by diseases (especially of the musculoskeletal system during mineral starvation), injured, old, or caught in natural traps (for example, swells), as well as young animals that strayed from the herd. In this case, the chances of hunters increased dramatically. Examples of mass accumulations of mammoths in the solonets of Shestakovo and Volchya Griva (Leshchinsky, 2001; Mashchenko and Leshchinsky, 2001; Derevyanko and Zenin et al., 2000; Zenin, 2002; Derevyanko et al., 2003) are quite convincing, and the facts of frequent and even numerous diseases of the musculoskeletal system of animals can no longer be assessed as isolated pathologies or curiosities. In addition to Shestakov and Wolf's Mane, massive cases of destructive changes in the bones of fossil mammals have been identified in a number of localities in Western Siberia - in Kochegur, Kolyvan, Bolshedorokhov, and Lugovsky (Leshchinsky et al., 2003; Leshchinsky and Burkanova, 2003; Zenin et al., 2004). Until recently, these facts were mostly ignored or not given any serious significance. Thus, the hunting activity of ancient humans, in contrast to the geochemical stress experienced by mammoths at the very end of the Pleistocene, could not have played a decisive role in their disappearance from the territory of Northern Eurasia.

The Lugovsky archeozoological complex, which is based on a natural trap with phagial clay rocks, shows a massive accumulation of fossil animal bones with obvious destructive changes and contains Paleolithic tools, including evidence of mammoth hunting. This combination allows us to consider Lugovskoye as a reference location for geoarchaeological and paleontological-stratigraphic studies, including in terms of solving issues related to the extinction of the Pleistocene megafauna of northern Eurasia.

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The article was submitted to the Editorial Board on 15.06.05.

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