The Neolithic Bird Hunters of the Mongolian Gobi Desert

Summary

This is an abstract from the "Steppe by Steppe: Advances in the Archaeology of Eastern Eurasia" session, at the 89th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

Archaeological surveys in the Gobi Desert of Mongolia have begun to reveal new information about the landscape distribution and seasonal movements of mobile populations in this semi-arid steppe environment on the eve of the late Holocene adoption of pastoralism. However, until recently we’ve had little information about their campsites and settlement activities due to the very small number of in situ archaeological remains. This made it difficult to understand the trajectories of subsistence pursuits and social organization preceding the shift to herding. The site of Burgasney Enger, located in the Ikh Nart Nature Reserve, Dornogovi Province, Mongolia is unique in the region. Our recent excavations have revealed an organized settlement with hut circles, elaborately constructed ovens, plant phytoliths and abundant bird bones indicating traditions of ecological knowledge at a “persistent place” adjacent to an extinct wetland environment. Semi-sedentary settlement there lasted from ca. 8,000 – 4,000 BP. The information from this site allows us to track adaptations to the increasingly dry environment and address the question of continuity and change in ecological traditions and knowledge.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Steppe by Steppe: Advances in the Archaeology of Eastern Eurasia   •
• Society for American Archaeology 89th Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA (2024)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 39732.0