Daria I. Chechushkova

Institute of Archaeology RAS, Moscow, Russia

Email: dstulova@list.ru

Keywords: Sungir site, Upper Paleolithic, radiocarbon dating, planigraphic analysis, stratigraphic analysis. 

The paper considers the interpretation of radiocarbon dates of the Sungir site by verifying the sample passport according to archival data and field reports, by planigraphic and stratigraphic analysis of the sampling sites for dating followed by a search for the nearest surviving stratigraphic section for projecting the sample onto the lithological layer. This method was used to study 40 radiocarbon dates of the site. It was found that only 12 of them meet all the reliability criteria. It was also revealed that the main array of dates has a spread of 4000 years and is consistent with the stratigraphy of the site. This may indicate a gradual accumulation of archaeological material at the Sungir site and, possibly, repeated visits to it. However, it is necessary to obtain a new series of dates directly from the bones from the 1954–1985 excavations with a reliable link to the lithological layers. Moreover, sampling requires extra activities to identify “ideal” specimens, including work with the bone, antler and tusk collection, conducting a planigraphic and, in particular, stratigraphic analysis of the location of each sample.

DOI: 10.31857/S0869606325010017, EDN: BHQEWW