Transbaikalia

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Transbaikalia is a territory of concentration of Initial and Early Upper Paleolithic sites, confined to the basin of the r. Selenga and its tributaries. Modern data based on AMS-dating shows that Man of the modern physical type begins to occupied the territory near 40-50 th. years ago.

A bright component of the Transbaikalian and Mongolian complexes of the Initial and Early Upper Paleolithic are various beads, piercing beads and pendants, both ornamented with transverse notches and also without ornament. They are made of the tubular bones of birds, shells of ostrich eggs, shells of river mollusks, teeth of predators and rodents, soft types of stone (Kamenka, Khotyk, Podzvonkaya, etc.). The collections contain fragments of small flat diadems and bracelets made of ivory, and ornamental stone. A unique find is a sculpture of the bear head from Tolbaga-site. The items made of bird's bones categorized as musical instruments (whistles, flute fragments) attracted a particular attention of reseachers. 

In the cultures of Later Stone Age (Neolithic era), a range of decorations grew. Rings of marble, jade and calcite, decorations made of boar fangs, serial items of mother-of-pearl and "paste" appeared. Also we can see images of fish, elks, and the other animals. Special craftsmanship of stone manufacturing is reflected in the collections of jade items

During the Bronze and Iron Ages, a range of unique art items significantly grew. Different metals and their alloys, ceramics were used. Images reflect complex worldview archetypes and mythological concepts brought from China and Iran. Herewith, it should be noticed that the archaic component in creating a jewelry system was remained. 

Sites

Publications

Ivashina L.G. Neolit i eneolit lesostepnoj zony Buryatii. Novosibirsk / AN SSSR. Sib. otd-nie. Buryat. fil. Buryat. in-t obshchestv. nauk. - VO "Nauka". - 157 S.

Konovalov P.B. Hunnu v Zabajkal'e (pogrebal'nye pamyatniki) // Ulan-Ude, 1976. - 248 S.

Konstantinov M.V. Kamennyj vek vostochnogo regiona Bajkal'skoj Azii. – Ulan-Ude: Izd-vo In-ta obshchestv. nauk BNC SO RAN; CHita: CHitinsk. ped. in-t, 1994. – 180 s.

Lbova L. V. Paleolit severnoj zony Zapadnogo Zabajkal'ya. – Ulan-Ude: Izd-vo BNC SO RAN, 2000. – 240 s.

Lbova L. V., Hamzina E. A. Drevnosti Buryatii: karta arheologicheskih pamyatnikov. — Ulan-Ude, 1999.