Late Pleistocene to Early Holocene Paleoclimatic Boundaries and Human Settlement of the East Siberian Arctic

Abstract

This article examines archaeological records relating to the East Siberian Arctic in the Stone Age. It spans approximately 50,000 years, from the early stage of MIS 3 to the Early Holocene. Human settlement of the region can be divided into three main stages: early (~50,000–29,000 BP, MIS 3), middle (~29,000–11,700 BP, MIS 2), and late (11,700–8000 BP). The peopling of Arctic Eurasia and the cultural evolution in that part of the world were driven both by abiotic and biotic factors, as evidenced by the correspondance between archaeologically detectable changes and key paleoclimatic events. Early human settlement of that region is associated with a population marked by West Eurasian genetic ancestry, whose cultural elements are typical for Southern Siberia. The early settlers were replaced by people displaying East Asian ancestry, migrating northwards under the impact of climatic changes. It is concluded that the successful peopling of the Arctic was facilitated by the adoption of critically important innovations such as sewing with eyed bone needles, and manufacture of long shafts and pointed implements made of mammoth tusks. Lithic industries marking various stages are described. That of the early stage is characterized by fl ake technology; in the middle stage, wedge-shaped core technology appeared; and the principal feature of the late stage is microprismatic technology, indicating total population replacement. The onset of the Holocene coincides with a key innovation—land transportation by dogsled, resulting in much higher mobility.