RUSSIAN CANADIAN ARCHAEOLOGICAL RESEARCH IN OLKHON REGION (Western Coast of Baikal Lake)
The article is devoted to a brief review of еру field studies the the Neolithic burials in Olkhon region (the western coast of the Baikal Lake), conducted in the collaboration of archaeologists from the Irkutsk State University and the Grant MacEwan University (Edmonton, Canada). We excavated Budun 4 (Olkhon Island) and Burlyuk 4 (Kurkut Bay in Lesser Sea of the Baikal Lake) the archaeological sites. The most interest focuses on the burial uncovered at the Budun cape. Here we investigated the collective stepped burial, included the remains of seven people. The complexes correlate to Late Serovo culture of the Late Neolithic in the region, according to the attribute of the burial practices: shape and construction of grave structures; decedent, laid on his back stretched his headlong to north, the presence of the birch bark cover and traces of fire, made in grave, the typical, accompanying equipment). We educed some features in the form of dead body sidelong position with bent legs (Budun 4 burial, the skeleton 1, the lower step) and the wall stone covering in the burial pit (Burlyuk 4, burial № 3 and 4). The presence of two different tradition in dead body position (stretched on the back and sidelong with bent legs) into one grave, supposes that they exist synchronously. The diversity of burial practices, identified in the Late Neolithic of Olkhon region, makes it possible to purpose the existence of more complicated ethnic processes, which have happened at this territory in ancient time. All selected samples will be analyzed by natural-scientific methods.