The Initial Upper Paleolithic of Northern Mongolia: Site Function, Mobility and Assemblage Plasticity

Summary

In the broadest sense, the term Initial Upper Paleolithic refers to archaeological assemblages that, without being necessarily ‘transitional’, combine retained Middle Paleolithic and derived Upper Paleolithic features. Here, we present an assemblage that documents such a phenomenon at the site of Tolbor 16, northern Mongolia. Although we suggest that the layer 7b can be assigned to the northeast Asian variant of the IUP, a detailed analysis and the use of a narrow definition highlights some aspects of the technical systems as being subject to functional plasticity. For example, measured frequencies of MP tool types and blade blanks may not exclusively represent an evolutionary stage, but also reflect patterns of recycling and export. With a lack of well-preserved fauna, the lithic assemblage could then be used as a proxy to address issues of preservation bias, spatial distribution and site function. By comparing our results with other examples from the Tolbor Valley and from Siberia, we discuss how settlement patterns influence our understanding of the IUP phenomenon and its evolution. Our observations suggest that, while plasticity may affect our ability to recognize IUP, the technological structure of lithic assemblages remains surprisingly consistent.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 82nd Annual Meeting, Vancouver, BC (2017)   •
• Short-Term Occupations in Paleolithic Archaeology

Keywords

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 16791