COLLECTIONS OF RADIOCARBON DATES, HUMAN OCCUPATION TIME AT THE STONE AGE SITESAND CHRONOMETRY OF THE CULTURE-BEARING DEPOSITS
In North-East Siberia, a number of archaeological sites whose deposits would be securely provided with mass samples of radiocarbon dates are very few. The best of examples of this are found in Zhokhov site and the Yana complex of sites. The Zhokhov set of dates was analyzed to better understand the timing of human presence at the site dated to 8250-7800 14С years ago. This interval contains a few periods of intensive occupation. The site was most intensively used between 8 000 and 7 900 14C years BP. For the Yana complex of sites it had been demonstrated that the complex has a complicated spatial organization which includes areas of different function. These areas yilded samples of radiocarbon dates that make the same clusters indicating that these areas were used at the same time. The main occupation spans from 29 000 to 27 000 14С years BP. Thus collections of 14C dates serve as multidimensional source of the information. Massive samples of them are the most important issue for archaeological investigation. They allow to estimate the length of occupation time for certain site, but do not suggest continuos habitation from the oldest to the youngest date in the data set. Analyses of dates allows to estimate areas occupied contemporary. Finally, radiocarbon dates obtained for the cultural deposits allow assessing the chronometry of the deposits and estimate deposition rates. Authors are grateful to Russian Science Foundation (project N 16-18-10265 RNF) for support of the newest cycle of research in Russian East- Siberian Arctic.