New data and insights into how pottery appeared along the Amur river

Abstract

The Amur River basin is widely known as one of the regions where the earliest pottery first appeared, however few are aware that it happened simultaneously in two separate areas associated with two different archaeological complexes -the Gromatukha and Osipovka. This duality is confirmed here through three lines of inquiry. The first section reviews the most recent general data on both complexes including radiocarbon ages and stone tool assemblages, the second gives detailed descriptions and analysis of both cultures’ pottery including composition, forming, and decorating techniques, and the third provides data on their changes over time. The primary distinctions between the two complexes are stressed including the distribution area, pottery and stone tool production, chronological discrepancies, complex origins, and affiliations. Based on these observations we conclude that the Osipovka and Gromatuka pottery are likely produced by different cultural groups in distinct regions, with little cultural interactions. These observations provide a more complex view of the invention and development of pottery within a smaller regional setting, facilitating future comparisons of the general context of pottery invention and opening new pathways for the reconstruction of human behavioral reactions to cultural, climatic, and environmental challenges in the past.