Late Glacial Maximum - Siberian Plain

Siberian Plain

During the Late GM, southern Siberia supported little vegetation, though some trees - mainly pine - persisted. Evidence comes not only from pollen-spore data but also from wood charcoal in former hearths at archaeological sites. Pollen samples around Chukotka, and the Taimyr Peninsula indicate a forest zone emerging roughly 7000 years ago and slightly warmer climates than at the present.

The earliest human reoccupation of Siberia does not begin until 21,000 years ago. Evidence of this persists mainly in the south around Lake Baikal, as at the Studenoe site, for example. Later sites include Kokorevo in the Yenisei Valley and Chernoozer'e in the Ob River basin. These sites are confined to latitudes below 57 degrees North and most are c-14 dated from 19,000 to 14,000 years ago. Settlements differ from those of the east European plain as they reflect a more mobile lifestyle due to the absence of mammoth bone houses, storage pits-all indicators of long term settlement. Visual art is uncommon. Fauna remains consist of red deer, reindeer, and moose and indicate a mainly meat-oriented diet.

The habitat of Siberia was far more harsh than any other area during the Late GM and often did not provide enough survival opportunities for its human inhabitants. This is what forced human groups to remain dispersed and mobile throughout the years. Such is reflected in the lithic technology, as tiny blades were typically manufactured, often termed micro-blades less than 8 cm wide with unusually sharp edges indicating frugality due to low resource levels. They were fixed into grooves along one or both edges of a sharpened bone or antler point. Specimens of complete microblade-inset points have been recovered from both Kokorevo and Chernoozer'e. At Kokorevo, one was found embedded in a bison shoulder blade.

As climates warmed further ca. 15,000 years, fish began to populate rivers, and technology used to harvest them - such as barbed harpoons - first appeared on the Upper Angara river. At this time people expand northwards into the Middle Lena Basin. By 11,000 years ago, settlement size increases as discovered at the Ust'-Belaya site where fauna remains consist of entirely modern type remains of deer, moose, fish, and traces of domesticated dogs. New technology such as fish hooks appear among bone and antler implements. The Dyuktai culture near Dyuktai cave on the Aldan river at 59 degrees North are similar to southern Siberian sites and include the wedge shaped cores and microblades, along with some bifacial tools, burins, and scrapers. This site likely represents the material remains of the people who spread across the Bering Land Bridge and into the New World. At 12,000 years ago, the Sumnagin culture appears over large portions of northern and eastern Siberia. These sites are small and yield few artifacts of small blades struck off thin cylindrical cores. Bone tools are absent as well as fishing equipment. Most Sumnagin sites were located in the forest zone and because of that most tools were likely created from wood which would help explain a sparse archaeological record. Another factor may be due to low levels of human settlement since the region of the Sumnagin culture could likely only support a considerably lower biomass than the rest of Eurasia. This is even reflected today along the Middle Lena Basin among current human populations. The Sumnagin diet consisted of large mammals such as deer, moose, and even brown bear as revealed by the fauna remains found. Nevertheless Sumnagin culture representatives move northward and become the first to populate Siberia's Arctic tundra ca. 10,000 years ago. At around 9,500-9,000 years ago, Sumnagin sites spread to Zhokhov Island, where slotted bone and antler points, antler and ivory mattocks, and bone handles for cutting tools were found. Few wooden artifacts were also found, including a large shovel or scoop, arrow shafts, and a sledge-runner fragment. Fauna remains consist of reindeer and polar bear. Only isolated bones of walrus, seal, and birds were identified. Further settlement proceded eastward and westward into Chukotka and the Taimyr Peninsula.