Поволжская археология

Archive » The Volga River Region Archaeology Vol.3 (37) 2021

Stratigraphy And Paleolithic Landscapes of the Beganchik Site at the Kama-Volga Confluence

Cordova C.E. (Stillwater, USA), Vyazov L.A. (Kazan, Russian Federation), Blinnikov M.S. (St Cloud, USA), Ponomarenko E.V. (Ottawa, Canada), Ponomarenko D.S. (Moscow, Russian Federation), Sitdikov A.G., Salova Yu.A. (Kazan, Russian Federation)

UDC 902/904 (470.630)

DOI: https://doi.org/10.24852/pa2021.3.37.8.21

Download
(1.66 Mb)

The Beganchik locality is a stratigraphic sequence of loessic deposits, pedogenic horizons and Paleolithic occupations located at the Kama-Volga confluence. The sequence is exposed on a bluff formed on the west side of an erosional remnant between the Kuybyshev Reservoir and the former channel of the Aktay River. Although the site is known for its Terminal Paleolithic-Mesolithic occupations of the Pleistocene-Holocene transition, evidence of older occupations and remains of fauna has been identified. Our research team identified evidence of human presence associated with a pedogenic horizon of MIS 3 age. Two AMS radiocarbon ages from a hearth produced ages around 47 000 years BP. Pollen and phytoliths from two soils horizons, including the one associated with the hearths indicate a steppe environment coincident with the formation of correlative soils elsewhere in the Russian Plain.

Keywords

archaeologyPaleolithicperiglacial depositspaleosolspollenphytoliths

About the author(s)

Cordova Carlos E. PhD, Department of Geography, Oklahoma State University. Stillwater, OK 74078, USA. carlos.cordova@okstate.edu

Vyazov Leonid A. Candidate of Historical Sciences. Kazan (Volga Region) Federal University. Kremlyovskaya str., 18, Kazan, 420000, the Republic of Tatarstan, Russian Federation; l.a.vyazov@gmail.com

Blinnikov Mikhail S. PhD, professor. St. Cloud State University. 720 4th Ave S,

St Cloud, MN 56301, USA; msblinnikov@stcloudstate.edu

Ponomarenko Elena V. Candidate of Biological Sciences. Adjunct Professor, Geography Faculty, Ottawa University. Simard Hall, 60 University, Ottawa ON Canada K1N 6N5; ecosystemarchaeology@gmail.com

Ponomarenko Dmitry S. Paleontological Institute, Russian Academy of Science (Moscow, Russian Federation); zemleroi@gmail.com

Sitdikov Airat G. TAS Corresponding Member. Doctor of Historical Sciences. Institute of Archaeology named after A. Kh. Khalikov, Tatarstan Academy of Sciences. Butlerov Str., 30, Kazan, 420012, the Republic of Tatarstan, Russian Federation; Professor. Kazan (Volga Region) Federal University. Kremlyovskaya St., 18, Kazan, 420000, the Republic of Tatarstan, Russian Federation; sitdikov_a@mail.ru

Salova Yulia A. Kazan (Volga Region) Federal University. Kremlyovskaya str., 18, Kazan, 420000, the Republic of Tatarstan, Russian Federation; yadviga13@yandex.ru