TOWARDS UNDERSTANDING THE IMCHIN CULTURE, ITS CERAMICS, CHRONOLOGY AND ORIGIN
Imchin culture represents the Late Neolithic of Sakhalin Island. T at was a crucial epoch in the history of Far East indigenious populations: previous Early Neolithic culture (known as Sony culture) was disappeared and new cultural groups were arisen. Latter are understood poorly now, and Imchin culture is one of them. It was spread mainly on the nothern part of Sakhalin, its chronology is controversy and its origin is unknown. Many researchers believe that this culture was originated in the Amur river basin and therefore they consider it is a Sakhalin branch of the adjacent Amur culture named Voznesenovskaya culture. Other researchers suppose that Imchin culture was local originally. T ey argue also that bearers of Imchin culture moved from Sakhalin to Amur River region. T is paper focuses on ceramics from Imchin-2 settlement which is the key site of Imchin culture. T e analysis of the ceramics allows to clarify the chronology of this culture and raises the question of possible genetic links between ceramic traditions of Imchin culture and Belkachi culture of East Siberia (Yakutiya). It seems Imchin culture was formed by the local populations on the northern part of Sakhalin island but through the mediation of Belkachi culture representatives.