The diring paleolithic site, Eastern Siberia: Review of geoarchaeological studies

Abstract

Geoarchaeological studies using geomorphological, lithological, cryolithological, palynological, paleomagnetic, thermoluminescent, and plant macrofossil analyses have been conducted on the Diring site, eastern Siberia. Mochanov (1988a, 1988b) assumed that the sediments which overlay the Diring cultural layer are synchronous with the Tabaga terrace of the Lena River (Upper Pliocene) and dated the cultural layer 1.8–3.2 My ago. Alekseev et al. (1990b) concluded that the cultural layer could not have dated earlier than the Late Eopleistocene, i.e., 0.8–1.8 My ago. Ranov and Tseitlin (1991) assumed that the cultural layer is of Middle Pleistocene age, 250–300 Ky ago. Based on a review of the geoarcheological analyses and new examination of the site in 1990, it is concluded that the cultural layer at Diring is of Late Pleistocene age. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

More about Diring Yuriakh: Unsolved geoarchaeological problems at a ?lower? paleolithic site in central Siberia

“…posed by Mochanov (1992Mochanov ( , 1993 and Waters et al (1997), contradicts the lithic and biostratigraphic data (Kamaletdinov and Zigert, 1989: Figure 5; Kuzmin and Krivonogov, 1994). An argument supporting the claim for the much younger age of the cultural layer is shown in the fact that artifact distribution in the lower part of the paleoslope, within the colluvial deposits, is little disturbed, even though the cultural layer is almost exposed on the surface in the lowermost part of the excavations (Figure 2, area encircled).…”

“…Thus, the cultural stratum in the lower excavations may be much younger than the 267,000 years reported by Waters et al (1997). The cultural layer may date to the Late Pleistocene (Kuzmin and Krivonogov, 1994:299) (i.e., anywhere within the Upper Pleistocene [Kuzmin and Krivonogov 1994]), from 10,000 to 125,000 years ago (Velichko, 1984). This is not simply "no more than 15,000 years old," as was understood by Waters et al (1997Waters et al ( :1281.…”

“…An earlier article on the geoarchaeology of the Diring Yuriakh (hereafter Diring) Paleolithic site in Siberia (Kuzmin and Krivonogov, 1994) summarized all available data published prior to 1992. Subsequently, Waters et al (1997) provided significant new data on the age of Diring, including 10 thermoluminescence (TL) dates.…”

“…Their study fails, however, to take into account vital information on site stratigraphy and artifact associations, which has previously only been published in Russian (Kamaletdinov and Zigert, 1989;Alekseev et al, 1990;Ranov and Tseitlin, 1991;Mochanov, 1992;Ranov, 1992). In the review article (Kuzmin and Krivonogov, 1994), several different views on the geomorphology, stratigraphy, chronology, and paleoenvironment of the site were described. Here, the focus will be on details salient to the stratigraphy of Diring.…”

The Pleistocene Peopling of the North: Paleolithic Milestones and Thresholds Horizons in Northern Eurasia

“…Diring-Yuriakh, a Lower Paleolithic lithic quarry locality (61° N, 128° E) located on the highest (Tabaginsk) terrace of the Lena River in Yakutia, raised debates about geoarchaeological uncertainties and age (Arkhipov, 1999: 139;The Paleolithic…, 1998: 336-337;Kuzmin, 2000: 33-35;Kuzmin, Krivonogov, 1994, 1999 despite its intrinsic interest (Derevianko, 1990: 9-11). The setting, plan, stratification, abundant artifacts, and refittings (Mochanov, 1988a, b;Mochanov, Fedoseyeva, 2002: Fig.…”