The earliest evidence for dwelling construction in the Upper Palaeolithic of Eastern Europe: a 30,000-year-old surface structure from Mira layer I

V.N Stepanchuk

doi:10.37098/va-2021-13-43-54

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to present data on the surface structure identified in the upper layer of the Mira site in the Dnieper valley. The occupation of layer I, based on a set of consistent data, constitutes the remains of a seasonal winter camp of Pleistocene horse hunters. Ten available radiocarbon dates place the calibrated age of layer I between 31,000 to 28,000 cal BP. The rapid albeit gentle overlapping of the settlement remains with alluvial sediments ensured that the original settlement and dwelling patterns and their elements survived well. Thanks to this, it is possible to reconstruct some significant aspects of the construction process, as well as details of the arrangement of the dwelling’s interior space. A 30,000-year-old, permanent skeleton cylindrical yaranga type surface construction from Mira layer I is currently representing the oldest dwelling known in the Upper Palaeolithic of Ukraine and a broader context of the steppe zone of the East European plain. Keywords: Upper Palaeolithic, surface dwelling, Eastern Europe

Highlights

The earliest evidence for the construction of arti ficial shelters/dwellings in Eastern Europe are dated back to the late Middle Palaeolithic (Anisyutkin 2013; Chernysh 1982; 1987; 1989; Demay et al 2012; Ste panchuk 2020) and revealed in the western segment of the geographical area
Remains of dwellings have been recognised in course of excavations and post-excavation interpretations of many Upper Palaeolithic sites in Eastern Europe (Abramova 1997; Anikovich et al 2008; Belyaeva 2002; Chubur 2011; Gavrilov 2016; Pidoplichko 1969; Rogachev 1970; Rogachev, Anikovich 1984; Sapozhnikov, Sapozhnikova 2002; Sergin 1974; 1992)
They show a raw of variants, both in layout, constructive materials and elements (e.g. Boriskovsky 1958; Rogachev 1970; Sergin 1988; Chubur 2016)

Summary

Introduction

The earliest evidence for the construction of arti ficial shelters/dwellings in Eastern Europe are dated back to the late Middle Palaeolithic (Anisyutkin 2013; Chernysh 1982; 1987; 1989; Demay et al 2012; Ste panchuk 2020) and revealed in the western segment of the geographical area. The peculiarities of the layout of postholes, pat terns of distribution of various kinds of cultural re mains, specific features and location of pits, hearths and other objects suggest that the southeastern part of the excavated area reveals remains of a sur face dwelling structure (Stepanchuk 2004; 2013). A dense dark-coloured layer of one to three cm thick and irregular outlines, containing a signifi cant number of tiny fragments of burnt bone and flint was traced generally within the outer, rounded contour of dwelling and is especially rich in the part facing the river This specific layer did not cover all the dwelling area continuously, displaying a nar row break strip in a central zone that marks the pre sence of some kind of barrier. The entrance to the dwelling most likely turned towards the river (Stepanchuk 2004; 2013)

Dwelling of Mira layer I: some aspects of the construction process

Findings

Discussion and conclusion