The azimuth of imbrication of minimum magnetic susceptibility axes in the youngest loess from Ukraine defines prevailing wind directions during aeolian sedimentation. It changes along the studied sections. These changes can be directly correlated with the fluctuations of the Fennoscandian Ice Sheet. The northern and northeastern winds noted in the loess succession separated by a period when southwestern to southeastern winds were predominant may be correlated with two main phases of ice‐sheet advance during the Last Glacial Maximum. The ice‐sheet advances towards the areas of loess deposition generated katabatic winds that influenced aeolian sedimentation in the periglacial zone. A period of relatively stable wind directions during a younger phase of the Last Glacial Maximum was interrupted by periods with more chaotic wind regime most probably caused by fluctuations of the Fennoscandian Ice Sheet during its retreat from the peri‐Baltic part of Europe. These intervals occur where initial soils developed. The distribution of anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility axes defined along the periglacial loess sections from central and eastern Europe can serve to constrain fluctuations of the Fennoscandian Ice Sheet.

No abstract

Over many years of archaeological research a number of Middle Paleolithic sites have been discovered in the vicinity of Mariampil, including Bukivna IV, Bukivna V, Yezupil I, Kolodiiv, Mariampil I, Mariampil V and others. The site of Mariampil I was discovered in the 1920s by Yu. Polanski. Since then the site has not been researched, although it is quite promising from the point of view of the Middle and Upper Palaeolithic studies in the region. In 2014, the study of the site was renewed using a number of modern methods of natural sciences. The samples were taken from the section of the site. Samples were taken every 0.2 m from the loess horizons and every 0.1 m from the Horokhiv fossil pedocomplex for granulometric analysis, general chemical analyses (humus content, Fe2O3, CaCO3). A number of samples were also taken for absolute dating of the sediments (TL, OSL), palynological research, as well as from certain horizons of the Horokhiv fossil pedocomplex for micromorphological research and analysis of biomarkers. The history of research, the geological structure and the archaeological material of Mariampil I were highlighted in the article. The association of the oldest (fourth) cultural layer, which was found by Yu. Polanski and confirmed by our fieldwork in 2014–2015, with the eluvial horizon of Horokhiv fossil pedocomplex (MIS 5e) was determined. It was dated by the OSL method at 102+16 ka BP and it correlates well with the archaeological determination of the age of the artifacts. As a result of the research, a large amount of factual material was obtained concerning the structure of the Upper Pleistocene loess-soil sequence, whose thickness is over 17 m, which is abnormally high for the Halych-Dnister region. Information about two important stratified Middle Palaeolithic sites in Ivano-Frankivsk region is also given. This is a three-layer Palaeolithic site of Yezupil I of Tysmenytsia district and Mariampil V of Halych district, which by chronological position and cultural and technological tradition are analogues of Mariampil I. Numerous Middle Palaeolithic sites in the vicinity of Mariampil on the Dnister River indicate a quite powerful centre of the Neanderthal communities in this area. Key words: Mousterian, Micoquien, Upper Palaeolithic, loess-soil sequence, Halych-Dnister region.

The article presents the results of the Palaeolithic loess sites studies in the Halych-Dnister region. It is an area in the Dnister River basin (Ukraine) with a large number of Middle and Upper Palaeolithic sites (Yezupil I, Halych I, Halych II, Mariampil I, Mariampil V, Mezhyhirtsi, Kolodiiv, Hannusivka, etc.), which have been discovered and studied including multilayered ones. It is open-air Palaeolithic sites related to widespread distribution in the region Pleistocene loess-palaeosol sequence reaching up to 30 m thickness, sometimes even more. Palaeolithic sites have been investigated using various field and laboratory archaeological and natural science research methods. Defined cultural horizons of the sites are stratified and dated by luminescent and radiocarbon methods, and their cultural identity is characterized. In the Halych-Dnister region, the most developed are the Middle Palaeolithic (Levallois, Micoquian) cultural horizons as well as the Gravettian techno-complexes of the Upper Palaeolithic. During our research, some scientific problems have been identified in studying the Palaeolithic sites of Halych-Dnister region. They are described in the article. As our practice has shown, issues such as the interpretation of the taphonomy and chronology of archaeological artefacts, the determination of the cultural identity of the archaeological site or particular cultural horizons, the underestimation of the redeposition of cultural layers, the role of palaeorelief and the deluvial–solifluction processes in it, the incompleteness of geological sections of archaeological sites are often debatable among researchers. In the light of the increasing anthropogenic impact on the environment, the issue of rationale, certification and protection of Palaeolithic sites is becoming more urgent. The main purpose of the article is to analyse these issues and find ways to resolve them.