Chronology and environmental context of the early prehistoric peopling of Kamchatka, the Russian North Far East

Abstract

The paper summarizes the current evidence on the post-glacial peopling of Kamchatka based on the latest investigations of Ushki V—currently, the earliest and most informative human occupation site complex on the peninsula. The refined 14С site chronostratigraphy and the geo-contextual multi-proxy records indicate at least four stages of the prehistoric settlement, with the most ancient radiocarbon-dated to ∼11300 yr BP (13300 cal yr). The more recent ones encompass the time period from the Pleistocene/Holocene transition to mid-Holocene with the sequenced inhabitation dated to 11330–10350 14С yr BP (13320–12022 cal yr), 10240–9485 yr BP (12225–10131 cal yr), 8608–7645 yr BP (9135–8413 cal yr), and about 5725–4055 yr BP (6679–4406 cal yr). The regional tephrochronology provides the most accurate time assessment of the occupation habitat evolution in a dynamic neo-volcanic landscape leading to the formation of the present relief. The principal archaeological tephra layers, being the key absolute markers associated with the time-equivalent volcanic eruptions, are: SH1 (265 yr BP), SH2 (950 yr BP), SH3 (1400 yr BP), SH5 (2500 yr BP), SH8300 (8300 yr BP) from the Shiveluch volcano; OP (1500 yr BP) from the Baranii Crater (the Opala volcano); KS1 (1800 yr BP), KS2 (6000 yr BP) from the Ksudach volcano; BZ (2100–2300 yr BP) from the Bezymianny volcano; IАv5 (6500 yr BP) from the Avachinskiy volcano; HG (6900 yr BP) from the Khangar volcano; and PL (8600 yr BP) from the Ploskie Sopki (Ushkovsky) volcano. The early settlements took advantage of the high natural (food and raw material) resource diversity. The cultural inventories show a progressive environmental adjustment illustrated by the mixed stone-working technologies retaining archaic Palaeolithic techniques accompanied by new microlithization elements. The appearance of ceramics about 7000–5000 cal years ago, presently the earliest in the Russian North Far East, relates to the emergence of the more sedentary Early Neolithic tradition. The Ushki locality has key importance for the regional scheme of the prehistoric peopling of the Kamchatka Peninsula and the adjoining areas of NE Pacific Asia and Alaska.