Bolshoi Salym 4 - A new mesolithic Site in the North of Western Siberia (the first results of the study)

Abstract

New mesolithic site, investigated in 2014, is situated on the Bolshoi Salym river in the central part of the West Siberian Plain, in the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug. The collection contains about 2000 finds and includes all main types of stone artifacts charactristic of the Mesolithic industries. The assemblage is dominated by bladelets, 92,3% of which are less than 1 cm wide. Of special note among the specific features of the industry are the presence of geometric microliths, archaically looking burins on concave retouched truncation, and a zoomorphic pebble. These objects as well as the predominance of microliths and the composition of raw materials may be indicative of a population migration from the Middle Trans-Urals.