STRATIGRAPHY AND CULTURAL SEQUENCE OF THE TOLBOR 21 SITE (Northern Mongolia): THE RESULTS OF THE 2014-2016 EXCAVATION CAMPAIGNS AND PERSPECTIVES OF FURTHER INVESTIGATIONS
The Tolbor-21 site is located in North Mongolia in the valley of the Tulburiingol river. The excavations of 2014-2016 revealed the cultural sequence of development of the monument’s complexes throughout the entire length of the Upper Paleolithic. Cultural residues of the early Paleolithic, and possibly an initial Upper Paleolith from the site excavation are dated within two radiocarbon definitions: 44,640 ± 690 (MAMS-14933) from pit 1 (the depth of about 150 cm.) And the 39,240 ± 360 (MAMS-14936) from pit 2 (depth about 115 cm below the surface). Also, in the sediments of the archaeological horizon 6, a small complex, related to the Middle Paleolithic with an open radiocarbon date of more than 50,000 BP was identified. Excavation 2 revealed five cultural horizons from the final to the initial Upper Paleolith which had not previously been identified there. In the horizon 3B for the first time for the upper Upper Paleolithic of the Tolbor Valley, structured fires were identified. The excavation of the trench in the layer 1 of the dark brown loam (possible paleosoil) of the dark brown loam revealed three artifacts: radial and parallel cores and flake. The depth of occurrence of artifacts is 6 m relative to the day surface and 4.5 m relative to the lower cultural layer of the excavation. All the cultural complexes known in the valley previously belonged to different stages of the Upper Paleolithic. Based on the stratigraphic position of the artifacts of data, we can assume that they are among the most ancient in northern Mongolia cultural stratum.