Spatial Analysis of Housing and Economic Complexes in the Upper Palaeolithic of Transbaikal (Southern Siberia)

Contents

Translators’ Introduction

Chapter 1: Development of methods of planigraphic analysis in Russia

The emergence of spatial analysis methods in the context of the study of Palaeolithic dwellings

Directions of research in the field of application of planigraphic analysis methods

Problems of reconstruction and analysis of habitat spaces and cyclicity in the structure of the cultural layer

Chapter 2: Studies of the planigraphy of Palaeolithic dwellings and economic complexes in Transbaikal

History of the discovery of dwellings

Research of dwellings in Western Transbaikal

Planigraphy of economic structures in the context of settlements

Chapter 3: Methods, concepts, approaches

Methodology for field research of Palaeolithic complexes in Transbaikal

Terms and concepts

Approaches and methods of spatial analysis

Analysis of the internal layout of dwellings

Dwellings of northern peoples from the archives of the Russian Ethnographic Museum

Chapter 4: History of research and geomorphology of ancient settlements in the Studenoe cluster

Chapter 5: Spatial analysis and reconstruction of the Studenoe 2 complexes

Cultural horizons 8, 7/2, and 7/1

Cultural horizon 6

Cultural horizon 5

Cultural horizon 4/5

Cultural horizon 4/4

Cultural horizon 3

Chapter 6: Conclusion

References

Index

About the Author

Irina I. Razgildeeva is an archaeologist, Ph.D., Associate Professor of the Department of History, Transbaikal State University, in Chita. Since 1983, as part of the Chikoi Archaeological Expedition, she has been researching the multilayered Upper Palaeolithic sites of the Studenoe and Ust-Menza clusters in Western Transbaikal. She is the author of more than 100 scientific papers published in Russia and abroad. Range of scientific interests includes Palaeolithic of Eastern Siberia, methodology for studying the spatial organisation of ancient settlements, and investigation of the housing and economic complexes.

Richard L. Bland studied Alaskan prehistory in the 1970s – 1990s (Ph.D. 1996, University of Oregon). He has translated more than 20 books and numerous articles on the archaeology and history of Siberia and Russian America, this way helping to bring the rich Russian/Soviet primary records to the international scholarly community. Sadly, he died in July 2024 without being able to see this book in print.

Yaroslav V. Kuzmin has been studying geoarchaeology of the Russian Far East, Siberia, and neighbouring Northeast Asia since 1979 (Ph.D. 1991; D.Sc. 2007). He has also assisted in translating and editing books on the archaeology of eastern Russia.