Pages: 55-68 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.55086/sp2215568

The Upper Palaeolithic sites of Eastern and Western Transbaikalia yielded a number of non-utilitarian objects which were collected and brought to the sites because of their unusual appearance (raw material, shape, color). These manuports show either no visible signs of human agency, or such signs are limited to stressing some natural traits. The paper provides an overview of most of such objects, the collecting of which seems to have been a widespread practice that took place during the whole period of the Upper Paleolithic on the Transbaikal territory and took place during all the Upper Palaeolithic. The objects in question could be used in rituals and/or games, or also could serve to enhance the status of their possessors.

Keywords: Transbaikalia, Upper Palaeolithic, non-utilitarian behavior, manuports

Information about authors:

Vasilii Tashak (Ulan-Ude, Russian Federation). Candidate of Historical Sciences. Institute for Mongolian, Buddhist, and Tibetan Studies of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Sakhyanova St., 6, 670047, Ulan-Ude, Russian Federation
E-mail: [email protected]
Yuliya Antonova (Ulan-Ude, Russian Federation). Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Akademik Lavrentiev Ave., 17, Novosibirsk, 630090, Russian Federation
E-mail: [email protected]
Evgeny Kovychev (Chita, Russian Federation). Candidate of Historical Sciences. Transbaikal State University. Aleksandro-Zavodskaya St., 30, Chita, 672039, Russian Federation
E-mail: [email protected]