The problem of the upper chronological border of the Kokorevo culture during the Late Paleolithic of the Yenisei (Troitskaya site)

The article is based on the materials of the Troitskaya site and devoted to the problem of the final stage of the Kokorevo archeological culture in the Middle Yenisei basin, Archaeological research of the Troitskaya site located in the northern part of Krasnoyarsk reservoir, allowed to substantiate the Early Holocene age as the upper chronological border of the Kokorevo culture. The Troitskaya site locates in the northern part of Krasnoyarsk reservoir on the right bank 90 km south to the Krasnoyarsk Dam. The site was discovered by N.F. Lisitsin (the Pashkin Kluch) in 1990. The stratigraphic section (the depth is 5.7 m) and the exploring excavation (9 m²) that helped to reveal the edge of the site were made in the cliff. The cultural layer was explored within the upper pale-yellow colored sandy clay loam (at a depth of 0.5-0.8 m). During the cleaning of the cultural layer there were found at least 861 stone artifacts, 285 bones fossils. There is a bone from the cultural layer that was dated to 9851±109 years ago (NSK/UGAMS), which completely corresponds to the stratigraphic position of the other artifacts. The number of the collected stone inventory items is 7083, including at least 300 tools and cores. Identical inventory of the site (microcores, burins, end-scrapers, chisel-like tools and specific items with a wide sharp edge) confirms that the archaeological materials of the cultural layer from the coastal shallow refers to the same archaeological complex. The authors believe, the prevalence of blade industry, methods of primary flaking, large cores made on the Yenisei pebbles, proportionate wedge-shaped cores, tool sets, etc. point out that the Troitskaya site belongs to the Kokorevo culture. At the same time, the Troitskaya site has some distinctive features: 1. A minimal number of points and end-scrapers on blades; 2. A significant number of pieces, chisel-like tools and drillings; 3. Microcores prevail over large tools, which proves a gradual increase of the composite tool technology influence. It is supposed that these features characterize the specific development of the Kokorevo culture during the Early Holocene period. Based on excavations on the site Buza II, the authors conclude that the Kokorevo culture exists in the period of Early Holocene, and evidently is the basis for the Yenisei Epipaleolithic.

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