Pages: 305-339

The period of archaeological research of the Kamchatka’s Upper Palaeolithic has more than half-century of history. The beginning of the research was laid in 1961 with the discovery of Ushki-I site — the first stratified Upper Palaeolithic site on the peninsula. The work on this archaeological object largely determined the content and scientific problems of Kamchatka’s Palaeolithic studies for many years to come. The article presents the main results of investigations of the Upper Palaeolithic of Kamchatka in the key period from 1980—1993, as well as an overview of current issues related to the study of the Ushki sites. During this period, a full-scale archaeological work was carried out under the leadership of N. N. Dikova and M. A. Kiryak to study Kamchatka’s Palaeolithic, with the involvement of a wide range of natural-science methods. The data obtained as a result of Ushki sites’ research laid the basis for the reconstruction of different aspects of the culture of the most ancient inhabitants of the peninsula, the study of paleoenvironments and the creation of the Palaeolithic periodization of the Extreme North-East of Siberia. Many problematic issues raised in the framework of research on the Ushki-I site, to this day haven’t lost their urgency and relevance. The review is supplemented with information about the latest stage of complex research at Ushki and other sites of the Kamchatka Palaeolithic.

Keywords: Beringia, Kamchatka, Ushki sites, Upper Palaeolithic, research history, radiocarbon chronology, stone industry

Information about authors:

Alexander Fedorchenko (Novosibirsk, 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]
Natalia Belousova (Novosibirsk, Russian Federation). Candidate of Historical Sciences. 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]