Development of Denisovan Culture in Altai

The cultural and chronological stratum of the Pleistocene deposits in Denisova Cave, Altai, is the most complete and lengthy in North and Central Asia today. The comprehensive research of the stone and bone industries in the Paleolithic cave layers helped to trace the process of local development of the most antique Altai’s people, who lived 300,000 to 30,000 years ago. The layer-by-layer analysis of stone artifacts helped to identify the stages of material culture of the-then cave dwellers. The most ancient archaeological site in the bottom of the Pleistocene stratum formed ca. 300,000-150,000 years ago is classified as Early Middle Paleolithic. The subsequent development of the Middle Paleolithic traditions is reflected by the discoveries from the layers that formed 150,000-50,000 years ago. According to archaeological, paleoanthropological and paleogenetic data, the development of the Middle Paleolithic site of the cave is associated mostly with the Denisovans. The deposits of the Early Upper Paleolithic uncovered bone remains of only that population. Bone needles with eyes, sets of personal jewelry and symbolic artifacts in the cultural and chronological stratum of Denisova Cave dating back to the period 50,000 years ago all testify that one of the earliest Upper Paleolithic cultures in Eurasia was formed in Altai.