ENVIRONMENT AND HUMAN BEHAVIOR IN NORTHERN MONGOLIA DURING THE UPPER PLEISTOCENE

This paper discusses the results of multidisciplinary studies of culture-bearing horizons uncovered at the Tolbor-4 site in Mongolia. Lithological analysis suggests that the entire sedimentary sequence belongs to the terminal Upper Pleistocene. The lowermost portion of the profi le is attributed to the late Zyryanka period, the middle portion to the Karga period, and the upper portion, Layers 2 and 3, to the Sartan period. Layers 4 and 5 seem to be contemporaneous; however this attribution contradicts the chronology established on the basis of techno-typological analysis of archaeological materials and their correlation with analogous well-dated sites in contiguous regions. This contradiction can be resolved only through the generation of chronometric dates. Palynological analysis of samples from the Tolbor-4 profi le suggests a gradual and continuous desiccation of the local climate, a regime that was benefi cial for human habitation, without any catastrophic changes throughout the period of human occupation of the site.