The paper highlights the results of comprehensive studies of materials from the Chagyr Cave (Northwestern Altai), which include the richest Middle Paleolithic industries and remains of Neanderthal anthropological representatives. The main properties and conditions of sediment formation in the cave, as well as data from granulometric, chemical, micromorphological, X-ray, paleomagnetic, and radiocarbon analyses of neo-Pleistocene rocks in the karst cavity are considered. It is concluded that the composition of the cave aggregate is similar to loess-like loams of the Upper Pleistocene of Western Siberia. The archaeological materials found in the cave have the only analog in Altai, represented in the Okladnikov Cave industries. Analysis of the technocomplexes of both objects indicates the existence of a special musteroid variant of the regional Middle Paleolithic - Sibiryachikhinsky.

Keywords: Chagyr cave, geology, granulometric, chemical, micromorphological, X-ray diffraction, paleomagnetic analysis, loess, small mammals, Middle Paleolithic, stone industries.

Introduction

The Middle Paleolithic stage of Northern Asia is represented by objects concentrated mainly in the Altai and nearby territories of Southern Siberia. The beginning of the Middle Paleolithic culture in the Altai falls on the second half of the Middle Neo-Pleistocene-282-133 thousand years AGO, most of the sites belong to 100.0-4.8 thousand years ago, the latest complexes date back to 33.5 thousand years ago [Archeologiya..., 1998; Prirodnaya Sreda..., 2003]. The material culture of the Altai Middle Paleolithic is generally characterized by uniformity [Prirodnaya sreda..., 2003]. However, the Okladnikov Cave technocomplexes dated from 44.8-33.5 thousand years AGO have special technological and typological features (Derevyanko and Markin, 1992). Previously, it was believed that the specifics of parking industries are mainly due to natural factors and facies features. The study of materials from the recently discovered Chagyr Cave site in the Altai (Derevyanko, Markin, and Zykin, 2008; Derevyanko et al., 2009), which are close to the Okladnikov Cave industries, allowed us to conclude that the cultural factor plays a decisive role in the variability of the regional Middle Paleolithic.

Geological structure of the Charysh River valley near the Chagyr Cave

The cave is located in the mid-mountain region of Northwestern Altai and is confined to the left side of the Charysh River valley, which drains the spurs of the northern slope of the Tigerek ridge (Fig. 1). The absolute level of the river near the karst cavity is 337.3 m. In the area of the cave, close - together near-valley subhorizontal surfaces with a height of 50-70 m and a width of 70 m or more are clearly distinguished, the base of which is Paleozoic rocks. The surfaces have a smoothed rear seam and an indistinct edge. The cave has a northern exposure and is located at an altitude of 25 m above the level of the Charysh, its mouth part opens onto the vertical surface of the ledge of a fragment of the basement terrace with a height of 50-60 m, composed of gray, massive, Lower Silurian limestones of the Chagyr formation. It has two halls with a total area of approx. 130 ^m2, one of which gives rise to three almost completely buried horizontal and vertical galleries. On the horizontal surface of the terrace directly above the cave, well-rounded pebbles and fragments of boulders of various breeds are found under thin modern soil. Rounded material is also present in the cave's sediments and vertical galleries. It was part of an ancient, almost unprotected alluvium that lay on high terraced surfaces. The presence of a recess in the river valley, on its left side opposite the cave, filled with sediments older than the late Pleistocene, indicates the formation of the level of high terraces earlier than the end of the Middle Pleistocene. High terraced levels seem to be the initial reference point for the subsequent uplift of the territory and the deep incision of the Charysh Valley, the beginning of which corresponds to the time of formation of the karst cavity.

Deposits in the cave, their main properties and conditions of formation

Numerous sections of cave aggregate up to 3.6 m thick, uncovered by excavations in the estuarine and inner parts of Hall 1 of the karst cavity, revealed the following composition of loose sediments:

1. General view of the Chagyr cave.

The cave aggregate consists of Holocene (layer 1-4) and neo - Pleistocene formations. Holocene sediments include a layer (2) of poorly sorted, well-rounded pebbles from the overlying basement terrace, which was redeposited into the cave through karst craters and vertical cavities. There is a significant break in sedimentation between the Holocene and underlying sediments. Neo-Pleistocene formations are clearly divided into two parts. The upper part is composed mainly of subaerial sediments, in which two horizons (layer 5 and layers 6a, 6b, 6b/1, 6b/2) of loess-like deposits are distinguished. The fact that these horizons are represented by loess-like loams is supported by the color, porosity, sediments, and their granulometric composition, which is similar to the same-age subaerial deposits.

studied in the Charysh Valley, opposite the cave. Heavy loams (layer 7a - b) with quartz and clay sand grains lying at the base of the section reflect a different cycle of sedimentation of the karst cavity, associated with the active manifestation of physical and chemical processes.

Based on samples taken from the Neo-Pleistocene rocks of the cave (layers 5, 6a, 6b, 6b/1, 6b/2), granulometric, chemical, micromorphological, X-ray diffraction, and paleomagnetic analyses were obtained, and the morphoscopy and morphometry of sand quartz grains were studied.

Granulometric analysis of loose deposits

It was performed on a Fritsch Analysette 22 laser particle size meter. The size of the dust and clay fractions considered by us coincided with the corresponding fractions from loess deposits (Konert and Vandenberghe, 1997).

Layer 5 is represented by loam, the granulometric composition contains fractions of coarse dust (31.5 - 36.25 %), medium (up to 29.35 %) and significantly less fine dust (up to 11.35 %). The proportion of the clay fraction (<0.005 mm) is 25.7-30.0 %, and it gradually decreases towards the base of the layer (Fig. 2). The total chemical composition contains silicon oxide, one-and-a-half aluminum and iron oxides, calcium and phosphorus oxides (Table 1).

The loam of layer 6a is also characterized by an increased content of dust fractions; the proportion of coarse dust reaches 35.4 %, medium - 28.35%, and fine - 11.2% (Fig. 2). In layer 6, compared to Layer 5, the specific weight of the clay fraction is slightly higher (28.3-32.7 %), and the content of one-and-a-half iron oxides and iron oxides is lower. aluminum, calcium and phosphorus oxides, more than Si0 ₂ (Table 1).

The loam of layer 66 consists mainly of a coarse dust fraction, the content of which increases to 53.65% at the base. The percentage of the average dust fraction is almost 2 times less than that of coarse dust, the fraction of fine dust is very insignificant (11.0 - 7.05 %) and gradually decreases towards the base. The fraction size < 0.005 mm varies between 21.1 and 32.4 %, which is approximately equal to that in layer 6a. In this layer, compared to the overlying ones, the proportion of one - and-a-half iron and aluminum oxides and silicon oxide is lower, but the proportion of calcium oxide, phosphorus oxide, and manganese is higher (Table 1).

In the loam of layer 6b/1, dust fractions also predominate, among which the coarse dust fraction reaches its maximum values (Fig. 2). Its percentage co-

2. Granulometric composition of the layers of the Chagyr cave: (a ) coarse-grained fraction (0.063 - 0.016 mm); (b) medium - grained fraction (0.016 - 0.008 mm); (c) fine - grained fraction (0.008 - 0.005 mm); (d) clay fraction (<0.005 mm); (e) average grain size.

Table 1. Total chemical composition of the layers of the Chagyr cave

retention reaches its highest values in the upper part of the layer and gradually decreases towards the base. The content of medium and fine dust in the layer is inversely distributed. The fraction < 0.005 mm ranges from 24.0-27.6 % and increases consistently down the horizon. According to the data of gross chemical analysis, the layer is characterized by the minimum content of silicon oxide, one-and-a-half iron and aluminum oxides, a fairly high proportion of calcium oxide, and the highest percentage of phosphorus oxide (Table 1).

Layer 6b / 2 is represented by loam, in the granulometric composition of which the coarse dust fraction reaches 52.3 % and this indicator is close to the fraction of layer 66, the fraction of medium dust is half that in layer 66, and fine dust is minimal (Fig. 2). The fraction < 0.005 mm is 17.3 % at the top and 26.8 % at the bottom. In this layer, compared with the overlying ones, the content of silicon oxide has a maximum value (56.76%), the percentage of one-and-a-half iron and aluminum oxides is slightly higher, and the percentage of phosphorus and calcium oxides is significantly lower (Table 1).

In the granulometric composition of the loam layer 7a-b, dust fractions prevail, among which the coarse dust fraction dominates (Fig. 2). The fraction < 0.005 mm in size is 28.5%. According to the results of gross chemical analysis, this layer differs from all the studied layers by the highest content of one-and-a-half iron and aluminum oxides, manganese and barium oxides, and the lowest content of calcium oxide (Table 1).

Thus, the granulometric composition of the Neo-Pleistocene rocks of the Chagyr Cave is characterized by a predominance of dust fractions, and the total chemical composition of silicon oxide, iron and aluminum one-and-a-half oxides is similar to that in loess-like loams of the Upper Neo-Pleistocene of Western Siberia (Zykina, Volkov, and Dergacheva, 1981; Zykina and Zykin, 2012). This allows us to consider the cave deposits as analogs of loess accumulated during the Aeolian period.

Morphoscopy and morphometry of sand quartz grains

To reconstruct the formation conditions, the studied layers in the cave sediments were studied by the method of morphoscopy and morphometry of sand quartz grains developed at the Institute of Geography of the Russian Academy of Sciences (Velichko and Timireva, 2002). Quartz grains of the 0.5 - 1.0 mm fraction were analyzed. The degree of their roundness was estimated by the five-point scale of A.V. Khabakov [1946] and the stencil of L. B. Rukhin [1969]. Among quartz grains in layer 5, grains of the 1st and 2nd roundness classes predominate (30-35%), grains of the 3rd and zero class make up 15-18%, and there are several perfectly rounded quartz grains of the 4th class (Fig. 3). The roundness coefficient is 40 %. Its average value may indicate that traces of mechanical processing are present on almost all grains in the sample. The absence of a round shape of a row of grains is probably explained by the insignificant distance of grain transport and the time spent in the air. Grain surfaces are characterized by different degrees of turbidity: 10 % of the grains have a glossy surface, 30% have a matte surface, and the rest have a quarter - and half - matte surface (Fig. 4, a-b). The degree of smudging is 53 %. This rather high indicator indicates the Aeolian processing of the material. Differences in the degree of haze of the surface of most grains also indicate their transport in the air. On the grain surface, such traces of mechanical impact as micro-pits, shallow furrows, cracks, and depressions are noted. Their formation is the result of grain collisions during transport in a wind stream (Velichko and Timireva, 2002). Many grains are characterized by the presence of fine siltstone material in the surface depressions. Grains of low roundness classes have shell-like chips caused by frost weathering (Fig. 4, d, e).

Figure 3. Histogram of roundness and turbidity of sand quartz grains in the layers of the Chagyr cave.

The degree of glossiness of the surface: a-glossy surface; b-quarter-matte; c-semi-matte; d-matte.

4. Quartz grains from layers 5 (a - d) and 6a (e-w) of the Chagyr cave, a-matte grain with a micro-lamellar surface; b, c-matte grains; d-glossy grain with a shell-shaped chip; e - shell-shaped grain chip; d-semi-matte grain with a micro-lamellar surface; d-traces of mechanical abrasion on the grain e; f-glossy grain with shell chips.

In layer 6a, poorly rounded grains make up 56 %. medium-rolled grains of the 2nd class - 28 %, well - rounded grains - 10%, untreated grains-6% (see Fig. 3). The roundness coefficient is 27.5 %, the degree of roughness is 52%. Most of the grains are semi-matte (40%), less grains with a quarter-matte (32 %) and matte (24 %) surface, a small percentage is accounted for by glossy grains (see Fig. 3). Almost all grains have a micro-lamellar surface (see Fig. 4, e), they often have cancellous chips, which is the result of permafrost processes (see Fig. 4, g). This, as well as furrows, traces of collisions, hatching, and the presence of "stuck particles" on their surface indicate the Aeolian transportation of these grains (see Figs.

Quartz grains of layer 66 are characterized by a rather low degree of roundness: approx.15% represent the zero class, 40% each represent the 1st and 2nd class, a small percentage are grains of a good degree of roundness. There are no perfectly processed grains in the sample (see Figure 3). The roundness coefficient is 33%. The layer contains up to 21.5% of matte grains, approx. 10 % - glossy, approx. 68.5 % - grains with semi - and quarter-matte surfaces (Fig. 5, a, c, d). The degree of smudging of the sample grains is 45 %. Despite the rather weak processing of the grains, there are well-defined traces of Aeolian processes on their surface in the form of micro-lamellae, scratches, especially in matte quartz grains (Fig. 5, b, e, f). This is a strong argument for wind transport of these quartz grains. Filling of depressions with fine siltstone can also indicate Aeolian transportation. On some grains, cancellous chips and cracks are visible, which are formed as a result of permafrost processes.

Layer 6b / 1 contains up to 16 % of untreated grains, 38% of medium - rolled grains, 36% of poorly rounded grains of the 1st class, and about 10% of well - rounded grains of the 3rd class (see Fig. 3). The roundness coefficient is within the average values and is equal to 38%. The surface of grains, except for well-rounded ones, is characterized by-

5. Quartz grains from layers 66 (a - e) and 6b/1 (e, f) of the Chagyr Cave. a, c - quarter-mat grains; b - micro - lamellar surface and furrows on grain a: d - semi-mat grain; e, e-mat grains with a micro-lamellar surface; d - quarter-mat grain with a shell chip; g - semi-mat grain with a micro-lamellar surface and a shell chip.

a certain degree of dullness. Grains with semi - and quarter-matte surfaces are represented approximately equally, the proportion of grains with a matte surface does not exceed 25 % (see Fig. 3). The degree of zamatovannost is quite high and amounts to 50%. A characteristic feature of the grain surface is a micro-lamellar texture caused by mechanical abrasion, which is associated with the presence of siltstone material in the air during transportation (see Fig. On a number of grains, "stuck" siltstone particles are noted. 5, f, f). Their formation is associated with the processes of frost weathering: water solutions that penetrated through the cracks into the grain froze, and parts of the grains broke off (Velichko and Timireva, 2002). Secondary quartz and plagioclase were found in the depressions and cracks of the grains, which indicates the development of chemical processes in the post-sedimentation period [Ibid.].

All the studied grains from loess-like loam layers of the Chagyr cave (5.6 a, 66.6 b/1) have average values of the degree of roundness (from 27.5 to 40.0 %), most of them belong to the 1st and 2nd class of roundness. There are practically no grains that have not been completely machined. The degree of smudging of grains is in the range of 45-52%, and the number of grains with a completely matte surface is not higher than average. On the surface of many grains, micro-lamellae are observed, indicating that the grains are processed during active movement in the air. In many grains from these layers, various relief irregularities are filled with fine siltstone, which is typical for grains from Loess horizons. The presence of shell-like chips on a number of grains indicates the processes of frost weathering [Ibid.]. It should be noted that the average values of the degree of smudging and a small amount of matte grains in the studied layers are associated with a short stay of grains in the air during transportation. Data on morphoscopy and morphometry of the Chagyr Cave layers are lower than for the Bagansko-Yeltsovsky (MIS-2) and Tulinsky loess horizons (MIS-4) of the loess-soil sequence of Western Siberia (Sizikova and Zykina, 2011). This is most likely due to the smaller presence of grains in the air stream and the close location of the source of material removal.

Micromorphological structure of loams

The sediments of layer 5 have a brownish-gray color and a sandy-plasma microstructure. The sediment is slightly porous, the pores are sinuous interaggregate and interskeletal, and the plasma is ferruginous-clay. Rounded aggregates with a size of 0.07-0.35 mm (Fig. 6, a). The content of skeletal grains is 15-20 % of the section area, and the grain distribution in the base is uneven. The size of skeletal particles varies from 0.03 to 0.45 mm, the size of one particle is 1.8 mm. Semi-rolled and angular grains predominate in shape, rounded grains are less common. Iron-clay films are observed on the surface of skeletal grains (Fig. The plasma shows an annular orientation of the mineral skeleton (Fig. 6, c). The following rock fragments are found in the section: a weakly elongated basalt fragment, elongated shales with dimensions of 1.5 x 1.0 mm, modified plagioclase, quartz, and potassium feldspar-4 mm (Fig. 6, d - f).

The loam of layer 6a is brownish-gray in color, has a sandy-dusty-plasma microstructure, and is porous. The pores are canal-like, interaggregate sinuous and interskeletal, ranging in size from 0.2 to 0.6 mm. No films are observed on the pore walls. The aggregates are simple, rounded, and range in size from 0.08 to 0.45 mm (Fig. Plasma is ferruginous-clay, speckled orientation. Silty particles are contained in a small amount and are part of microaggregates and films on the grains of the mineral skeleton together with iron (Fig. 7, b). The distribution of clay and dusty particles over the field of the section is uneven. The mineral skeleton occupies 20-25% of the section area and is represented by potassium feldspar, basalt, quartz, epidote, plagioclase, and biotite. Large particles, represented by clastic minerals, have an angular and semi-rolled shape, their sizes range from 0.02 to 0.07 mm. Most of the minerals have a size of 0.02 to 0.03 mm, sometimes large fragments of 1.13, 1.35 and 2.5 mm are found. An annular orientation of the mineral skeleton is observed in the base plasma (Fig.

The micromorphological structure of the loam of layer 6b is sandy-dusty-plasma, light color, grayish-brown; the loam is porous, the pores are channel-shaped, interaggregate sinuous and interskeletal, the aggregates are simple, rounded and rounded-elongated, the size is from 0.06 to 0.35 mm, and consist of ferruginous-clay plasma, which has a scaly structure, isotropic, 7, d). The grains of the mineral skeleton have a thin border of optically oriented clay minerals. An annular orientation of the mineral skeleton is observed in the base plasma (Fig. 7, d). The mineral skeleton occupies 20-25% of the section area and is represented by quartz, KPS epidote, and plagioclase (Fig. 7, e; 8, a). The skeleton grains are uncoated, angular, and 0.03 - 0.37 mm in size.

The microstructure of the loam of layer 6b/1 is sandy-dusty-plasma, grayish-brown in color. The sediment is denser than the overlying one, the pores are channel-shaped,

6. Microstructure of layer 5 of the Chagyr cave, (a ) general structure of the layer, PPL, x 2.5; (b ) iron-clay films on the grain surface, XPL, x 20; (c) ring orientation of the skeleton grains, XPL, x 2.5; (d ) basalt fragment, PPL, x 10; (e ) shale fragment, modified plagioclase, quartz, XPL, x 20; e-KPSh, XPL, x 10.

sinuous interaggregate and interskeletal aggregates of rounded and elongated-rounded shape, size 0.015-0.45 mm, consist of ferruginous-clay plasma with a scaly structure (Fig. 8 (b)). The grains have a thin border of optically oriented clay minerals (Fig. 8 (c)). Skeletal grains occupy 20-25% of the section area. Their distribution in the base is uneven. An annular orientation of the mineral skeleton is noted (Fig. Unrolled and semi - rolled grains with a size of 0.03-0.33 mm predominate. The following types of rock fragments were found: KPS, quartz, biotite, epidote, and a quartz aggregate up to 1.5 mm in size (Figs.

The above data, which reflect the micromorphological structure of the cave loams, indicate a mineralogical composition due to

7. Microstructure of layers 6a (a - c) and 6b (d-e) of the Chatyr cave, (a) general structure of the layer, PPL, x 2.5; (b) films of optically oriented clay minerals on the grain surface, XPL, x 10; (c) ring orientation of skeleton grains, XPL, x 10; d - general structure of the layer, PPL, x 20; e - ring orientation of the skeleton grains, XPL, x 20; d-epidote, quartz aggregate, XPL, x 10.

the receipt of material from one area. An annular orientation of the mineral skeleton is observed in all layers along the edges of microstructural fragments and in interaggregate voids. This is a consequence, according to I. T. Kosheleva [1958] and M. I. Gerasimova, S. A. Shubin, and S. A. Shoba [1992], of freezing processes. Semi-rolled, non-rolled and angular grains predominate.

The general features of the cave loam layers and loess horizons of the same age in Western Siberia are microaggregate, porosity, weak weathering of the mineral mass, and ring orientation of the mineral skeleton. The peculiarity of the microstructure of the cave aggregate is the absence of carbonate neoplasms, which is associated with the increased humidity of precipitation in the karst-

8. Microstructure of layers 6b (a) and 6b/1 (b - e) of the Chagyr cave: (a) epidote, quartz, KPS, plagioclase, XPL, x10; (b ) general structure of the layer, PPL, x 2.5; (c) films of optically oriented clay minerals on the grain surface, PPL, x 20; d-CPSH, quartz, XPL, x 2,5; d - modified biotite, PPL, x 10; e - modified biotite, epidote, quartz aggregate, XPL, x 10.

howl of the cavity. Rounded clusters and strips of well-decomposed limestone fragments in the loamy rocks of the cave should be considered as inclusions. The cave loams have a looser composition due to the presence of small rock fragments in the plasma, they do not have rounded pores, and the plasma is ferruginous-clay instead of clay-carbonate, typical of loess.

X-ray diffraction analysis of neo-Pleistocene rocks

The samples were photographed using an ARL X'TRA X-ray diffractometer (Cu Ka radiation). The mineral composition of the uppermost layer of sediments (layer 5, sample depth is 1.7 m) is dominated by quartz, and acid plagioclase and feces are also found-

cite, dioctahedral mica of polytypes 2M1 and _1M, and magnesia-ferruginous chlorite. 9, a). Detailed X-ray diffraction analysis of the mineral composition of rock samples from layers 6a (1.6 m deep), 6b (1.2 m deep), 6b/1 (0.8 m deep), and 6b/2 is possible (yellowish-green loam)

Рис. 9. Рентгеновские дифракционные спектры слоев 5 (а) и 6б (б) Чагырской пещеры.

10. X-ray diffraction spectrum of layer 7a-b of the Chagyr cave.

and 6b / 2 (ash-gray loam) showed only small differences between them. Quartz dominates in all five samples studied; plagioclase, dioctahedral mica of two polytypes 2M1 and _1M, and magnesia-ferruginous 14A-chlorite are present; a small admixture of potassium-feldspar, apatite, and amphibole is found; trace contents of calcite, siderite, and hematite are noted (Fig. The main difference between the mineral composition of the upper layer 5 and the underlying sediment layers-6a, 6b, 6b / 1 and two differently colored loam layers 6b / 2-consists in the increased content of calcite (up to 10 % of the material composition of the rock) and plagioclase (Fig. Layer 7 (heavy loam of dark brown color) has a different mineral composition and, accordingly, genesis. In addition to quartz, feldspar (plagioclase and potassium feldspar), and trace amounts of siderite and hematite, the sample from Layer 7 was found to contain an increased content of dioctahedral mica, represented by two polytypes 2M1 and _1M, and turbostratic (disordered) smectite and galloisite (Fig. 10), which were not detected in the overlying sediments of the cave.

Paleomagnetic data of sediments

Paleomagnetic studies of deposits in the cave were carried out according to the generally accepted method. Magnetic cleaning of the samples was carried out by an alternating magnetic field at the LDA-3A facility (Czech Republic). Natural remanent magnetization (jn) was measured using a JR-6A magnetometer (Czech Republic), and magnetic susceptibility _{including frequency-dependent} K (kfd, was measured using the MS2 system (Bartington, UK). When analyzing the obtained data, the Jn components ₍Zijderveld diagrams).

The maximum values of K fall on layers 6b/1, 6b/2, and the minimum values-on layer 7a-b (Table 2). The value of K_fd was calculated by the formula (K_fd)% =⁼(K_lf- K_hJ)/K_lfxl00, where K_lfis the magnetic susceptibility at a measurement frequency of 460 Hz, and K_hfis at a frequency of 4,600 Hz. It reflects the presence of ferrimagnets in the superparamagnetic state, which are formed, as a rule, during chemical reactions in soils (Pilipenko et al., 2010). In layers 3, 5, and 7a, the presence of superparamagnets_by a sharp increase in the kfd value. The average value of the_of the Jn vectors before magnetic cleaning (Fig. 11) is 298°, the inclination is 68°. The coordinates of the magnetic pole are 65° N, 14°w. d.

To isolate the components of the natural remanent magnetization, one sample from each layer was demagnetized by an alternating magnetic field. Figures 12 and 13 show typical examples of the behavior of the natural remanent magnetization vector during magnetic cleaning. As the value jn decreases, thedirection of the vector practically does not change. After demagnetization, the overall distribution pattern changed slightly. Average values

Table 2. Magnetic properties of deposits in the Chagyr cave

Figure 11. Stereoprojection of the distribution of natural remanent magnetization vectors in geographical coordinates.

12. Stereoprojection (a), Zijderveld diagrams (b), and graph of demagnetization by an alternating field (c) of a sample from the 6b/1 layer.

13. Stereoprojection (a), Zijderveld diagrams (b), and graph of demagnetization by an alternating field (c) of a sample from layer 7a.

declinations, inclinations, and pole coordinates remained the same. Apparently, all the layers of the cave are located in the Brunes chron.

According to the data of the above studies, the rocks of layers 5, 6a, 6b, 6b/1 and 6b/2 of the Chagyr Cave aggregate are represented by loess-like loams of Late Pleistocene age, accumulated by the Aeolian route. This is indicated by the maximum amount of dust in the granulometric composition of loams and quartz grains that have been subjected to mechanical processing, and the micro-lamina of the surface of many grains that occurs when they are actively moving in the air stream. The presence of fine siltstone in the unevenness of the surface relief of quartz grains is an important diagnostic feature of Loess horizon grains. In the microstructure of the cave layers, the features characteristic of loess-like loams of Western Siberia are preserved: microaggregationality, porosity, weak weathering of the mineral mass, and ring orientation of the mineral skeleton. Thus, the lithological features of the cave's subaerial sediments and their stratigraphic position make it possible to compare them with the loess-soil sequence of the West Siberian Plain (Zykina, Volkov, and Dergacheva, 1981; Zykina and Zykin, 2012). We can assume that layer 5 corresponds to the Yeltsovian loess, which accumulated during the Sartan Glaciation (MIS-2) of the late Pleistocene. Dates 33,760 ± 170 BP (MAMS 14954) and > 49,000 BP (MAMS 14955) determined from bone samples of Bison sp. from the roof of the sediment, perhaps, somewhat timbered. Loams of layers 6a, 6b, 6b/1, and 6b / 2 can probably be considered as analogs of the Tulinsky loess, which was formed during the Ermakov glaciation, which falls on the fourth stage of the oxygen isotope curve. According to Bassinot et al. (1994), it corresponds to 57-71 Ka BP according to AMS and ^14C dates determined at the Kurt Engelhorn Center for Archaeometry in Mannheim, Germany by various bones Bison sp., some of which show signs of being affected by stone artifacts, the age of the roof of layer 6a is > 49,000 BP (MAMS 14957), the middle part of layer 66 is > 49,000 BP (MAMS 14958), its base is > 49,000 BP (MAMS 14959), > 52,000 BP. (MAMS 14353, MAMS 14354), the roof of layer 6b/1 -45,672 ± 481 bp (MAMS 13033), > 49,000 bp (MAMS 14960), > 52,000 bp (MAMS 14355) , its middle part-48,724 ± 692 bp (MAMS 13034), the sole - 50,524 ± 833 hp (MAMS 13035), > 49,000 hp (MAMS 14961, MAMS 14962, MAMS 14963), > 52,000 hp (MAMS 14356, MAMS 14357, MAMS 14358), layer 6b/2 - > 49,000 hp (MAMS 14964). The given AMS dates suggest that the carbon age of loams corresponds to the time interval that falls at the end of the 4th and the boundary between the 4th and 3rd stages of the oceanic scale.

Мелкие млекопитающие

Все костные остатки мелких млекопитающих из голо-ценовых и плейстоценовых осадков карстовой полости происходят из разрушенных погадок хищных птиц. Об этом свидетельствуют сохранность костей конечностей и нижнечелюстных ветвей грызунов; эпифизы трубчатых костей обломаны, части зубной кости в основании первых нижних коренных зубов разрушены (растворены в желудках птиц). Почти во всех слоях пещеры найдены также малочисленные трубчатые кости и зубы летучих мышей, среди которых преобладают остатки рода Myotis.

В верхненеоплейстоценовых и голоценовых отложениях пещеры представлены 34 вида из 25 родов насекомоядных, зайцеобразных и грызунов и 3 вида из 2 родов мелких хищных семейства куньих (табл. 3). Таксономический состав палеофауны в основном соответствует современному составу млекопитающих данного региона Алтая. Однако в слоях 6а и 7а - в обнаружены коренные зубы обского лемминга Lemmus sibiricus, современный ареал которого расположен в Субарктике, в единичных экземплярах по всему разрезу отложений в пещере зафиксирован другой необычный для современной фауны Алтая вид - желтая пеструшка Eolagurus luteus. Сейчас этот вид обитает в опустыненных степях Призайсанья, Монголии и Китая. В карстовой полости встречены также остатки большого тушканчика Allactaga major, современный ареал которого находится за пределами Алтая.

Мелкие млекопитающие Чагырской пещеры представлены зубами и костями посткраниального скелета 1 475 особей. Землеройки и кроты (lnsectivora -Soricidae, Talpidae) составляют 3,73 % от общего количества, зайцы и пищухи (Lagomorpha - Leporidae, Lagomyidae) - 2,64 % (табл. 3). Основная масса костных остатков (более 90 %) принадлежит грызунам (Rodentia) из четырех семейств - Sciuridae, Dipodidae, Muridae, Cricetidae.

Беличьи представлены видами из родов Sciurus, Marmota, Tamias, Spermophilus и составляют 6,03 %. Доминируют остатки степных форм (сурок и два вида сусликов). Виды, обычно выступающие индикаторами лесной зоны (бурундук и обыкновенная белка), представлены единичными остатками, белка - двумя костными остатками в разных неоплейстоценовых уровнях, бурундук - по одному остатку в неоплейстоценовых и голоценовых уровнях, что свидетельствует об отсутствии лесной зоны. Белки и бурунду-

Table 3. Taxonomic composition of small mammals in the Chagyr cave deposits, ind.

They occasionally enter the steppe zone along river valleys with sparse woody and shrubby vegetation (Yudin, Galkina, and Potapkina, 1979).

Remains of the large jerboa A major, a typical representative of the steppe mammalian life form, are found in almost all layers.

Among the species of the Microtinae subfamily, several groups can be distinguished that inhabit different biotopes. Meadow floodplain biotopes are inhabited by water voles, common voles, and housekeeper voles. Variegated birds Lagurus lagurus, Eolagurus luteus occupy steppe and semi-desert areas of mountain slopes. Rock vole A Iticola strelzovi settles in stone placers with sparse vegetation. Clethrionomys rutilus, C. rufocanus, and several species of mice of the genus Apoclemus occupy floodplain areas with sparse tree and shrub vegetation.

The rodent fauna of the Chagyr Cave indicates the constant presence of a steppe zone on the watershed slopes in the late Pleistocene and Holocene. The most convincing evidence of this is the presence in all layers of steppe and yellow mottles and a large jerboa. Floodplain areas were constantly occupied by representatives of several species of gray and water voles and mice. The small number of mouse remains indicates a weak participation of tree and shrub vegetation in the Charysh floodplain. The absence of woody vegetation on mountain slopes in the late Pleistocene can also be judged by the presence of Lepus tolai remains (pl. 3), currently inhabiting the vast desert zone of Asia and Africa.

No zonal mammalian assemblage of the taiga zone was found in any of the horizons of layer 5, which does not correspond to the results of spore-pollen analysis (Rudaya, 2010). The composition of rodents in layer 5 indicates the constant presence of steppe mammalian forms (Lagurus lagurus, Eolagurus luteus) in all selected stratigraphic levels (Table 4).

As mentioned above, the Ob (Siberian) lemming remains were found at two stratigraphic levels of layers 7a - b and 6a of the Upper Pleistocene sediments. The range of this species is currently only in the Subarctic. However, in the Neo-Pleistocene, during the periods of the greatest cooling, the lemming area was much further south and combined with the areas of such typical steppe forms as the steppe and yellow motley. These communities were called "mixed faunas" (Wangenheim, 1977) and lived in a peculiar climate of "tundra-steppes" or periglacial "cold steppes".

In the Chagyr cave, the "mixed fauna" of the periglacial cold steppe is represented in layers 7a-b and 6a. It may also belong to the same type-

See Table 4. Composition of rodents in sediments in the Chagyr cave, according to stratigraphic levels in layer 5*, ind.

* Depth from the daily surface of sediments.

There is a fauna whose remains are recorded in layer 5. However, no lemming remains were found there. This is probably due to the low population density of the species at the border of the Siberian lemming range. Remains of lemmings in Neo-Pleistocene layers in Altai caves are quite common. They are found in many Paleolithic sites. For example, the remains of the ungulate lemming Dicrostonyx sp. were found in the Denisova Cave, along with the remains of true lemmings, the steppe motley bird, the Eversman hamster, and the jerboa pojiaAlloctaga. [Aghajanyan, 2001].

The composition of the small mammal fauna of the Chagyr Cave changed little during the Late Pleistocene stage of sedimentation. This indicates the constant presence of floodplain, steppe and semi-desert associations and the absence of a forest zone during the accumulation of Upper Pleistocene deposits in the Chagyr cave. The" mixed fauna " of layers 7a-b and 6a definitely indicates the cold, dry climate of the periglacial zone and the absence of tundra biotopes.

Archaeological materials

Archaeological material found in the Neo-Pleistocene sediments of the cave is unevenly distributed. In layers 5, at the boundary of layers 6b/2 and 7a-b, individual artifacts are presented that do not yet allow for confident comparisons. The richest industries based on jasperoids, corneas, siltstones ,and sandstones (Kulik and Markin, 2009) are associated with rocks of layers 6a - 6b/2. The peculiarity of mostly the same type of equipment is the small number of cores and large volumes of guns, reaching 19 % of the inventory. Most chips are characterized by the displacement of the workpiece body from the removal axis, which, in combination with the face cut, indicates the predominance of radial splitting techniques. Secondary processing was carried out mainly with the help of a variety of retouching finishes. There are signs of various thinning of workpieces in order to remove bumps, undergrowth of basal parts, correct the curvature of the profile, flatten the edges and the angle of convergence of the blades of déjeté-type artifacts. The typological basis of the set of tools is represented by scrapers and tools of the déjeter type, their share in some layers is 90 % (Figs. 14, 15). Among the scrapers, single lateral and transverse forms predominate, there are fewer double parallel and convergent tools, single scrapers with a refined back, with traces of retouching from the abdomen and with an opposite finish, half-skin. Scrapers-knives with natural and artificial edges are distinguished, either with opposite working retouched edges or adjacent to them at an angle. The déjeter guns are available in a wide variety of double and triple combinations. A few groups of artefacts are made up of jagged items, retouched ankos, spikelets, and bifaces. Determination of the production factor of the Chagyr cave is based on the nature of fractionation of flint residues. In the industries of all strata, a small amount of evidence of the splitting of raw materials within the parking lot was found. It can be assumed that testing and initial processing of rocks were carried out by humans mainly outside the cave, on the channel pebbles of the Charysh River. Perhaps the cave was a long-term habitat site where hunting prey was butchered and processed. Among the faunal remains of Equus (e.) ferus, E. ex. gr. hydruntinus, E. hydrunti-nus/ferus, Coelodonta antiquitatis, Cervus elaphus,

14. Déjets of various types from layer 6b / 1 of the Chagyr cave.

15. Stone tools from layer 66 of the Chagyr cave.

1,2, 5 - scrapers of various types; 3, 4, 6-déjets of various types.

Rangifer tarandus, Bison priscus, Capra sibirica, Ovis ammon, Capra / Ovis, etc. are dominated by bison remains, which implies not only the active use of bioresources of various landscape zones by fossil humans, but also the specialization of their hunting activities. According to the anthropological materials found in caves, the carriers of these industries were representatives of the Neanderthal anthropological type (Viola, Markin, Zenin et al., 2011; Viola, Markin, Buzhilova et al., 2012).

Geological structure of loess sections in the Charysh Valley and its tributaries

Fragments of ancient loess covers formed during aridization and cooling of the climate are well preserved in the valleys of small tributaries that go out into the Charysh Valley. So, opposite the cave, 1.6 km north-west of it, in the right side of the Charysh Valley, near the western outskirts of the village. Ust-Pustynka, in a channel-like depression in Paleozoic rocks, now drained by a small watercourse, opens a section with a height of 11.55 m. It consists of several horizons of loess deposits lying under modern chernozem soil. Loess horizons are separated by distinct denudation breaks. They occur on fossil soil located at a depth of 10 m from the edge of the outcrop. In the upper part, it is represented by fragments of a humus horizon (Al ≈ 0.4 m), composed of heavy, dark gray with a brown tint, carbonate, dense, slightly porous loam with a large amount of gravel and fine crushed stone. The lower border is uneven and indistinct. The illuvial horizon (Ica ≈ 0.6 m) consists of grayish-brown loam, carbonate, denser and less porous than the humus horizon. It contains small rubble, many burrows of shrews with a diameter of 7-10 cm, filled with grayish-white loose loam. The fossil soil is morphotypically similar to the lower soil of the Berd complex of the West Siberian Plain (Zykina, Volkov, and Dergacheva, 1981; Arkhipov et al., 1995; Zykina and Zykin, 2012). It was formed during the Kazantsev Interglacial, which allows us to consider the age of the overlying deposits as Late Pleistocene.

Currently, based on the lithological features, color, and sequence of formation, it is possible to make a preliminary correlation of the selected horizons with the layers present in the Chagyr cave. The horizon of loess-like, light brown, compacted, porous loam with many roots filled with dark organic matter and carbonate pseudomycelium, which lies under modern soil at a depth of 1.45-2.4 m from the brow, is comparable to layer 5 in the Chagyr Cave (Derevyanko et al., 2009). The horizon of grayish-brown, dense, porous loam with carbonate pseudomycelia and a large number of root sprouts, lying at a depth of 2.4-4.75 m from the edge of the outcrop, correlates with layer 6a of the cave. Small carbonate specks are found in it from a depth of 2.05 m from the roof to 2.4 m; in contrast to the overlying horizon, the number of sand layers with a thickness of 0.5 to 2.0 cm increases closer to the base of the horizon. The horizon of brownish-gray, carbonate loam located at a depth of 4.75-5.75 m from the brow corresponds to layer 66 of the cave. It is denser than the overlying loam, less porous, and has numerous root sprouts. It rarely contains small crushed stone ranging in size from 0.3 to 1.2 cm, there are no sand layers, in the very top-

it contains small (up to 0.7 cm) loose gypsum nodules and thin gypsum interlayers.

The fossil soil of the above section lies at elevations close to the surface of the present-day high floodplain. Below the soil to a depth of 0.5 m, light grayish-yellow, carbonate loam with hollow roots and small rubble up to 0.5 cm in size is exposed.

In the next section, which is also located in the right side of the Charysh Valley, near the village. Ust-Pustynka, on the right side of the Ruchka River valley, in the lower part of the slope in the subaerial loess layer at a depth of 5 m from the brow, the lower soil of the Berd complex was found. It lies, like the soil of the section described above, at the same hypsometric level and has similar morphotypic features corresponding to the Lower Berd soil. However, in this section, the soil has a profile of better preservation, which makes it possible to distinguish two stages in its development-meadow and meadow-chernozem. Under the soil lies a light sandy, grayish-yellowish, carbonate loam with a visible thickness of 1.5 m, which makes up the upper part of the sediments that perform the re-deepening of the Charysh Valley.

Thus, the studied sections are represented by subaerial deposits containing the lower soil of the Berd complex, formed during the Kazantsev Interglacial, which is an analog of the 5e oxygen isotope stage. It should be noted that, regardless of denudation and slope processes, loess horizons retain the basic structural patterns and morphological features characteristic of them in Western Siberia. This makes it possible to compare the loess horizons of the Charysh Valley with the loess-soil sequence of Siberia (Zykina, Volkov, and Dergacheva, 1981; Dobretsov, Zykin, and Zykina, 2003; Zykina, and Zykin, 2008; Markin, Zykin, and Zykina, 2011; Zykina, and Zykin, 2012).

Reconstructions of the climate and natural environment of the epochs of forest accumulation

The geological formations that fill the Chagyr cave probably belong to loess horizons of different ages. Loess covers, which are a product of atmospheric dust deposition during periods of increased atmospheric circulation, were formed during glaciations in southern Siberia. Loess formation during periods of cooling and climate aridization is indicated by the coincidence of the time of their formation with the cold stages of the oxygen isotope scale (Bassinot et al., 1994), as well as by the dust enrichment of the cold intervals of the Antarctic (Fig. 16) and Greenland cores. Recent data obtained from ice cores in Antarctica [Petit et al., 1990, 1999] and Greenland [Alley et al., 1995; Biscaye et al., 1997; Alley, 2000] show that the increase in the amount of dust in the atmosphere associated with increased wind occurred during ice ages. During the periods of glacial maxima, the dust content in the atmosphere was 30 times higher than during the interglacial maxima (Broecker, 2000).

The loess-soil sequence is a unique sequence among the continental sediments of the Neo-Pleistocene of Western Siberia, which most fully reflects global climate and environmental changes in the time scale of orbital parameters. Its stratigraphic horizons clearly correspond to the stages of the oxygen isotope scale of oceanic precipitation and other global climate records (Dobretsov, Zykin, and Zykina, 2003; Zykina and Zykin, 2008; Zykina and Zykin, 2012). Therefore, it is a detailed reference scale for detailed studies of not only fossil soils, but also loess horizons, as well as for intra-and inter-regional correlations. In the Late Pleistocene, three loess horizons are distinguished: the Bagansky, Yeltsovsky, and Tulinsky horizons (Zykina, Volkov, and Dergacheva, 1981; Zykina, Zykina, and Orlova, 2000; Zykina, and Zykin, 2012). The Bagan and Yeltsovsky loess are identified as part of the Sartan horizon. The first one lies directly under the modern soil cover; it is of small thickness and significantly affected by soil formation processes, and the subsequent one is located on the formations of the Karginsky interstadial. The Tulinsky loess is overlain by deposits of the Karginsky horizon.

The age limits of the formation of each horizon were determined taking into account the correct correlation of the same-age loess horizons of Central and Western Siberia and radiocarbon and thermoluminescent dating data. The age of the base and roof of each late Neo-Pleistocene loess stratigraphic horizon has been determined (Zykina, Volkov, and Dergacheva, 1981; Zander et al., 2003; Kravchinsky, Zykina, and Zykin, 2008; Zykina and Zykin, 2012). Let us consider in detail the age of the Yeltsovsky and Tulinsky loess, since the Chagyr cave probably contains deposits of this age interval.

The Yeltsovo loess was formed during the Sartan glaciation; its lower boundary corresponds to the lower boundary of MIS-2 (Zykina and Zykin, 2012) and is located at the level of 24 Ka BP (Bassinot et al, 1994). Its thickness is 1.5 m. The horizon of the Yeltsovsky loess lies on the Iskitim pedocomplex, which consists of upper and lower soil. Both soils have radiocarbon and thermoluminescent dates (Zykina, Volkov, and Dergacheva, 1981; Zander et al., 2003; Zykina and Zykin, 2012). Radiocarbon dating

16. Comparison of the loess-soil sequence of Western Siberia with global paleoclimatic events.

The method was used to date the upper soil of the Iskitim pedocomplex in the southern part of Western Siberia (Novosibirsk Ob region, Shipunikha and Koinikha interfluve) [Zykina, Volkov, and Dergacheva, 1981]. There is also a date for humic acids for the upper Iskitim soil from the Belovo section (Zykina, Volkov, and Semenov, 2000; Zykin, Zykina, and Orlova, 2000). In Central Siberia, the beginning of sedimentation of the Trifonov loess, which is analogous to the Yeltsovo loess, occurs at 24 ± 4 Ka BP (Kravchinsky, Zykina, and Zykin, 2008; Zander et al., 2003). Based on these data, it can be assumed that the Iskitim pedocomplex was formed 53-24 Ka BP (Zander et al., 2003; Kravchinsky, Zykina, and Zykin, 2008). Consequently, the accumulation of deposits of the Yeltsovo loess began 24 KA BP and ended 18 KA BP. According to the results of luminescent loess dating from the Kurtak section, this period of loess accumulation corresponds to an age interval of 25-15 Ka BP. The maximum period of loess accumulation was associated with a marked temperature jump during the pleniglacial maximum in MIS-2 in Central Europe.

The Tulinsky loess, with an average thickness of 2.5-4.0 m, is located above the upper soil of the Berdsky pedocomplex. It is overlain from above by the lower Iskitim soil, which began to form in 57 Ka BP (Sizikova and Zykina, 2011; Zykina and Zykin, 2012). The Tulin loess corresponds to MIS-4, which is estimated at a time interval of 71-57 Ka BP (Bassinotetal., 1994). In Central Siberia, the beginning of the formation of the Chaninsky loess, which is an analog of the Tulinsky loess, occurs at 68 ± 8 Ka BP, and its roof dates from 53 ± 4 Ka BP (Kravchinsky, Zykina, and Zykin, 2008; Zander et al., 2003). Consequently, the Tulin loess accumulated 68-53 thousand years ago.

It is established that the average rate of loess accumulation for the Bagan horizon was 0.31 mm/year, for the Yeltsovo horizon-0.3 mm / year, and in the Tula epoch of loess formation, sediment formation occurred at a rate of 0.26 mm / year (Fig. Thus, the rate of forest accumulation increased from the Tulinsky horizon to the Bagan horizon. Data on a higher sediment accumulation rate during the Bagan loess formation epoch are in good agreement with the results of morphoscopy and morphometry of quartz grains. Similar velocity calculations were performed by A. E. Dodonov for loess-soil sections of Southern Tajikistan (2002). According to these calculations, the wind strength increased by the Late Glacial period. However, despite the lower rate of sedimentation during the Tula loess formation epoch, the thickness of the Tulinsky loess is significantly higher than that of the Yeltsovsky and Bagan loess, which is due to the longer duration of its formation.

In the Chagyr cave, most likely, analogs of the Yeltsovsky and Tulinsky loess of Western Siberia have been studied in detail. Their formation also occurred during the cold epochs (MIS-2, MIS-4); this conclusion is not contradicted by the data obtained for the AMS - and ^14C-date deposits (> 52,000 BP) and microteriofauna data. Despite the differences in loess appearance and sedimentation patterns, the climatic conditions for the formation of both loess horizons were similar. The conclusion based on microstructure data about the accumulation of loess horizons studied in the Chagyr cave during cold epochs is confirmed by the presence of a ring orientation of the mineral skeleton grains along the edges of microstructural individuals and in interaggregate voids. This is due, as shown by I. T. Kosheleva [1958] and M. I. Gerasimova, S. A. Shoba [1992], to cryogenic processes. The results of morphoscopy and morphometry of sand quartz grains indicate the presence of cancerous chips on a number of grains, which also corresponds to the processes of frost weathering (Velichko and Timireva, 2002).

The climate of cold epochs is characterized by instability. The most complete reconstructions of Klim-

Figure 1-7. Sedimentation rates of Upper Pleistocene loess horizons in the southeastern part of Western Siberia.

maps of the epochs of forest accumulation were carried out on the basis of Sartan strata in the lake basin. Aksor in Pavlodar Priirtyshye. Its significant variability during the last glaciation is evidenced by the structure of the Sartan sequence, which serves as a closed deflationary basin of Lake Baikal. Axor, the bottom of which is located 27 m below the low-water level of the Irtysh. The distinct cyclical alternation of lake sands, polygonal primary sand veins, and desert weathering and selective blowing horizons reflects sharp changes in temperature and humidity. Cryogenesis is associated with the time when the temperature dropped to -12... -20 °C and the average annual precipitation was less than 100 mm (Karte, 1983). Winters were not very snowy, with strong winds. A large amount of loose material was removed from the basin. The deviation of the average annual temperature during the cryogenesis phases from the current values was 13-21 °C, which is in good agreement with the results of paleoclimatic modeling (Kutzbach et al., 1998), which gives the average annual temperatures at these latitudes at the level of 21 Ka BP 10 - 15 °C lower than the current ones. Thermometric data from a well drilled in the Greenland ice at the Summit station (Cuffey and Clow, 1997) indicate that during the ice Age, the average air temperature was 15 °C lower than it is now, and during periods of severe cold weather, it was 18-20 °C. During the formation of lake sands, the moisture content of the territory increased, and polygonal vein structures were not formed. Taking into account the cold climate of the Sartan epoch (Arkhipov and Volkova, 1994), it can be assumed that lake sediments without permafrost structures accumulated near the southern boundary of the cryolithozone, where the average annual air temperatures are currently close to -3 °C (Duchkov et al., 1995). Desert weathering horizons with carbonate formations developed on the surfaces of lake sediments and primary sand veins, apparently formed in dry, moderately cold conditions. Good preservation of permafrost structures, in particular convex parts of primary sand veins, indicates rather rapid changes in sedimentation conditions in a closed basin. The section includes at least eight short-term moderately cold and wet epochs, during which permafrost degradation occurred, accompanied by the outflow of primary sand veins, and lake transgression, and eight epochs of severe cooling and climate aridization, when the lake reservoir was drained, its bottom froze, primary sand veins formed, and deflation developed. The latest lacustrine transgression, whose sediments are higher than the last dated soil, probably corresponds to the time of the last deglaciation. Its beginning is recorded in the oxygen isotope record of precipitation in the central Arctic Ocean at the level of 15,700 BP (Stein, Nam, and Schubert, 1994). Differences in the temperature of the intervals of strong and moderate cold ranged from 9 to 17 °C.

Determining the duration of rapidly changing periods of cooling and relative climate warming is difficult due to the inaccurate age of the lower boundary of the Sartan epoch. If we consider the lower limit of 25-24 Ka BP (Kind, 1974), and the boundary between the 2nd and 3rd stages of the oxygen isotope scale to be 24 Ka BP (Bassinot et al., 1994), taking into account the radiocarbon date for the upper soil of 16,210 ± 850 Ga and the presence of in the interval of seven epochs of sharp climate warming and cooling, it can be concluded that the duration of the observed cycles in the context of approx. 1 100 - 1 300 years. If the boundary between the 2nd and 3rd stages corresponds to 28 Ka BP (Bond et al., 1997), then it increases to 1 600 - 1 700 years. Thus, the average duration of climate cycles correlates well with the millennial epochs of extreme warming and cooling observed for the first time in Greenland ice and North Atlantic precipitation (Bond et al., 1993; Dansgaard et al., 1993). The coincidence of these events is also evidenced by data on a significant increase in dust in the North Atlantic atmosphere during periods of extreme cold (Broecker, 2001) and a sharp increase in deflation in the Pavlodar Irtysh region during the formation of polygonal primary sand structures. Cyclical climate changes are also clearly recorded in palynological sequences in Europe.

At the beginning of the glaciation, due to climate aridization, the runoff in river valleys significantly decreased, which is confirmed by the presence of ples facies in the upper part of the Kazantsev alluvium in the axial part of the Irtysh Valley below Omsk. Further cooling and aridization of the climate during glaciations led to the filling of river valleys with subaerial, mainly Aeolian deposits and the almost complete absence of main runoff in them. So, the valley of the river. The Ini (a left tributary of the Charysh) in the northwestern part of Gorny Altai is completely filled with loess up to 10 m thick, which indicates that there was no main flow in it at this time. The occurrence of this sequence on well-dated Karginsky deposits (Butvilovsky, 1993) indicates that they were formed during the last Sartan glaciation. Lenses up to 1.5 m thick and up to 7 m long with very weakly rounded pebbles and rubble, consisting mainly of shales that make up the sides of the valley, are often found in loess at different levels of the layer. They contain a large amount of coarse-grained polymictic sand-

4. Pebbles and rubble are slightly inclined against the current of the modern river. The presence of lenses of weakly rounded local material with an inclined position of pebbles suggests a periodic resumption of weak runoff in the valley during the accumulation of Aeolian material in it during periods of cooling and aridization of the climate of the last glaciation.

Conclusion

Archaeological materials found in the Chagyr cave have the only analog in Altai, represented in the Okladnikov Cave industries. The repeatability of technological and typological features of sets of stone artefacts from both caves and their difference from other Middle Paleolithic technocomplexes of Altai, united in the Karabomov and Denisov technical varieties (Prirodnaya Sreda..., 2003), indicate the existence of a special musteroid variant of the regional Middle Paleolithic - Sibiryachikhinsky. The dominant technology in the cave industry is radial technology, which is the basis for mass production of angular blanks. The secondary finishing of working edges and individual sections of products, including various types of thinning of workpieces, seems to be identical in the cave parking industries. Gun sets also look of the same type, which primarily include a variety of scrapers, less often sharp tips, jagged-notched products, retouched chips, and bifaces. A special feature of the artefact complexes are numerous sets of scrapers, knives of obushkov varieties and various angular tools-déjets of double and triple combinations. According to the anthropological remains found in the caves, the industry data carriers belonged to the Neanderthal anthropological type (Krau-se et al., 2007; Mednikova, 2011; Viola, Markin, Zein et al., 2011; Viola, Markin, Buzhilova et al., 2012). The materials of both caves are comparable to Mousterian complexes in a number of regions of Eurasia, especially in Southwestern Europe, Transcaucasia,and the Eastern Mediterranean.

The time values of the Okladnikov Cave industry were determined by a series of dates ranging from 44,000 ± 4,000 to 33,500 ± 700 BP (Derevyanko and Markin, 1992). The AMS-dates for the Chagyr Cave technocomplexes are slightly higher than them. The small number of objects of the Sibiryachikha variant of the Middle Paleolithic is explained by the fact that a small group of representatives of the Neanderthal anthropological type penetrated the Altai, where the Upper Paleolithic culture was already formed, and within a short time they disappeared into the cultural and anthropological environment that existed here [Derevyanko, 2011]. This conclusion is confirmed by the fact that the consequences of the development of these technocomplexes are not observed in the Altai industrial varieties at the stage of the Early Upper Paleolithic culture formation (Derevyanko, 2012). In the light of the marked age indicators for the materials of Okladnikov Cave and Denisova Cave layer 11 (ca. 50,000 BP), which include typical Upper Paleolithic industries of the Aurignacian type, the problem of the relationship between Neanderthals and humans of a different anthropological type in the Paleolithic of Altai at the stage of cultural change becomes more and more clear. Note that a genomic sequence belonging to a previously unknown hominid was recently isolated from bone remains from Denisova Cave [Krause, et al., 2010; Reich et al., 2010]. The relationships between different hominids and distinct material cultures that co-existed simultaneously in the Paleolithic of Altai have yet to be fully evaluated.

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The article was submitted to the Editorial Board on 17.12.12.

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