Archeozoological Characteristics of the Shchapova 2 Paleolithic Site in Irkutsk
The paper presents the detailed results of the archaeozoological study of the large mammals from the Shchapova 2 Upper Paleolithic site located in Irkutsk. Excavations in 2019 revealed four conditionally defined horizons with archaeological and faunal material; within the studied area subaerial sediments of deluvial origin were uncovered. Layers 3 and 4 were attributed to the Karginian period (MIS 3), layer 2 to the Early Sartanian period (MIS 2), layer 1 to the Holocene (MIS 1). The largest number of bone remains was obtained from layer 4. Altogether we recognized ten taxa: Spermophilus sp., Panthera spelaea, Mammuthus primigenius, Equus sp., Coelodonta antiquitatis, Cervus elaphus, Megaloceros giganteus, Alces alces, Rangifer tarandus, Bison priscus. The species composition of Shchapova 2 site is characteristic of the Late Pleistocene of region with a predominance of horse and steppe bison, diversity of cervids and presence of woolly mammoth and rhinoceros. Most of the bones have only slightly weathered surfaces. It indicates that the bulk of the bone remains were only exposed for a short time on the surface or in the soil prior to deeper burial. The analysis of the faunal material suggests that the accumulation of bones from layers 3 and 4 took place in the hunter camp. The subsistence strategy was based primarily on two game animals: horse and steppe bison. Horses and steppe bison were killed in the immediate vicinity of the site. Sometimes red deer and moose were hunted from remote areas. Large parts of horse and steppe bison carcasses were transported from a kill and initial butchering site to a residential and consumption site. Most likely the complete and unprocessed reindeer carcasses were brought to the camp. Reindeer skull fragments found in the layer 4 indicate that the Shchapova 2 site most likely was seasonally occupied during late autumn or winter. However, due to the small amount of bones these data are preliminary. The fauna from the Upper Paleolithic site Shchapova 2 is indicative of tundra-steppe. The presence of red deer and moose remains suggests the forest in the vicinity of the site, probably represented by floodplain forests.