Paleogeographic Background of the Neolithic and Eneolithic Periods of the Steppe Volga Region

The article presents materials enabling to reconstruct the paleogeographic background of the development of the population of the Volga region steppe in the Neolithic and Eneolithic periods. The relevance of the study comes from the need to develop issues of natural and climatic factors influence on the development of cultures. The novelty is determined by the fact that the research presents materials of the 2014–2019 surveys for the settlement of Oroshaemoe I. The purpose of the article is to reconstruct the paleogeographic background at the time of interest. The tasks of the study also include identification of the chronological framework, reconstruction of natural and climatic conditions, and determination of the faunal component. In order to achieve these goals, archaeological, palynological and geochemical, radiocarbon and faunistic methods were used. The settlement of Oroshaemoe I is characterized by multi-layers and stratification. The site shows successively located layers of the Orlov, Caspian and Khvalynsk cultures, separated by sterile ones. In addition to ceramic and stone implements, faunal remains were found in the cultural layers which makes it possible to identify the species of animals at different stages of the Neolithic-Eneolithic of this region. Clear chronological frameworks are defined for all complexes. For the first time in recent years, the results of spore-pollen analyses were obtained for all cultural layers. An additional source was the results of geochemical analysis for this site. Certain periods of improvement and deterioration of the climatic situation are traced which influenced the vegetation cover of this area. The results of the analysis allow us to conclude that throughout the entire period the vegetation in the surrounding area was similar to modern dry steppes (semi-deserts). An increase in aridity is recorded at a later stage in the development of the Orlov culture. The driest climatic conditions existed during the formation of the Caspian layer; and during the formation of the Khvalyn layer the amount of precipitation began to increase. This resulted in changes in life activity in the Late Stone Age and the Early Metal Age.