Spatial Analysis of Housing and Economic Complexes in the Upper Palaeolithic of Transbaikal (Southern Siberia)

Spatial Analysis of Housing and Economic Complexes in the Upper Palaeolithic of Transbaikal (Southern Siberia) provides a brief overview of the history in the development of methods of spatial analysis in Russian archaeology in the context of studies of Palaeolithic dwellings. The results of an analysis of the spatial organisation of the Upper Palaeolithic complexes in Transbaikal region are presented in detail. The concept of contextual analysis is introduced as applied to the archaeology of ancient settlements. The planigraphy of housing and economic structures and, in general, the cultural horizons of the multi-layered Studenoe 2 site are examined in detail. An ethnographic block is presented separately, characterising the details of the frame dwellings of the northern peoples based on the rich photographic collection of the Russian Ethnographic Museum. This book is for archaeologists, historians, and Quaternary geologists, including undergraduate and graduate students, and academics.

Table of Contents:
Translators’ Introduction   Chapter 1: Development of methods of planigraphic analysis in Russia The emergence of spatial analysis methods in the context of the study of Palaeolithic dwellings Directions of research in the field of application of planigraphic analysis methods Problems of reconstruction and analysis of habitat spaces and cyclicity in the structure of the cultural layer   Chapter 2: Studies of the planigraphy of Palaeolithic dwellings and economic complexes in Transbaikal History of the discovery of dwellings Research of dwellings in Western Transbaikal Planigraphy of economic structures in the context of settlements   Chapter 3: Methods, concepts, approaches Methodology for field research of Palaeolithic complexes in Transbaikal Terms and concepts Approaches and methods of spatial analysis Analysis of the internal layout of dwellings Dwellings of northern peoples from the archives of the Russian Ethnographic Museum   Chapter 4: History of research and geomorphology of ancient settlements in the Studenoe cluster Chapter 5: Spatial analysis and reconstruction of the Studenoe 2 complexes Cultural horizons 8, 7/2, and 7/1 Cultural horizon 6 Cultural horizon 5 Cultural horizon 4/5 Cultural horizon 4/4 Cultural horizon 3   Chapter 6: Conclusion   References Index

About the Author :
Irina I. Razgildeeva is an archaeologist, Ph.D., Associate Professor of the Department of History, Transbaikal State University, in Chita. Since 1983, as part of the Chikoi Archaeological Expedition, she has been researching the multilayered Upper Palaeolithic sites of the Studenoe and Ust-Menza clusters in Western Transbaikal. She is the author of more than 100 scientific papers published in Russia and abroad. Range of scientific interests includes Palaeolithic of Eastern Siberia, methodology for studying the spatial organisation of ancient settlements, and investigation of the housing and economic complexes. Richard L. Bland studied Alaskan prehistory in the 1970s – 1990s (Ph.D. 1996, University of Oregon). He has translated more than 20 books and numerous articles on the archaeology and history of Siberia and Russian America, this way helping to bring the rich Russian/Soviet primary records to the international scholarly community. Sadly, he died in July 2024 without being able to see this book in print. Yaroslav V. Kuzmin has been studying geoarchaeology of the Russian Far East, Siberia, and neighbouring Northeast Asia since 1979 (Ph.D. 1991; D.Sc. 2007). He has also assisted in translating and editing books on the archaeology of eastern Russia.