P. Y. Pavlov, Institute of Language, Literature and History Komi Scientific Center of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences 26 Kommunisticheskaya St., Syktyvkar, 167982, GSP-2, Russia UDC 903.2 E-mail: pavlov.hist@mail.komisc. ru Introduction The article considers the materials of Paleolithic sites located on the territory bounded by 58-68° N and 50-60° e. The region includes the northeastern part of the Russian Plain (the eastern part of the basins of the Northern Dvina (Vychegda River) and Mezen (southern Timan), the Pechora and Upper Kama basins) and the western foothills of the Urals (from the northern part of the Middle to the Polar region) (Fig. 1). A significant length in the meridional direction, a complex relief determine the diversity of its natural conditions. The northern part of the territory is located in the tundra and forest-tundra zone, while the southern part is located in the boreal (taiga) forest zone. The north-east of Europe has a well-developed hydrographic network. Rivers belong to the basins of the Arctic Ocean (Pechora, Vychegda and Mezen) and the inner Aral-Caspian (Kama). The main waterways - the Kama River in the southern part of the region and the Pechora River in the northern part-are among the largest rivers in Europe. In the upper reaches of the Kama River (the central part of Perm Krai), the Kama reservoir was created in the mid-50s of the XX century. The territory adjacent to it is a hilly plain with elevations of 200-300 m above sea level, strongly dissected by river valleys and ravines. In the west it is an elevated part of the Russian plain, in the east-the foothills and western ranges of the Ural mountain country. The Pechora basin is a plain that occupies vast areas between the Urals and Timan. The highest elevations are observed on its eastern edge along the Ural Ridge (over 1500 m above sea level). Paleolithic research in northeastern Europe has a long history. The first Paleolithic monuments were discovered in ... Читать далее