Occupation of Tsagaan Agui Cave during Last Glacial Maximum

Abstract

Purpose. This article presents the results of an interdisciplinary study of the materials from Layer 2.1 of Tsagaan-Agui Cave in the Gobi Altai, obtained through stratigraphic, palaeontological, and techno-typological analyses. The data are considered in the context of general palaeoecological and cultural trends during the first half of MIS 2. Results. A radiocarbon date (GV-04380) of 29,970 ± 219 BP (ca. 32.5 ka cal BP) was obtained for the underlying Layer 2.2, based on a bone fragment that had passed through the gastrointestinal tract of a predator. Layers 2.1 and 2.2 correspond to the period of glacial growth and the LGM itself. The composition of carnivorous mammals in Layer 2.1 is relatively diverse but represented by isolated finds: corsac fox, Pallas’s cat, Siberian weasel, and snow leopard. However, their role in the formation of the taphocoenosis was likely limited, as some of these remains may have been introduced into the cave secondarily, as part of prey accumulated by birds or other predators. In contrast, the hyena Crocuta ultima stands out, represented by both skeletal remains and a large number of coprolites, and was the main agent in the formation of the macrofaunal component of the layer. Among the reliably identified remains are woolly rhinoceros, Equus ovodovi, and representatives of gazelles. The lithic assemblage is small and differs in its raw material composition from those of the underlying layers. The limited number of tools does not allow for cultural attribution or comparison with other assemblages in Mongolia. Conclusions. The absence of chips and small flakes, the uniqueness of nearly every artefact in terms of raw material suggesting that they were brought to the site as finished products – and the overall small size of the assemblage indicate a short-term episode of cave occupation by a non-local group. The onset of the LGM was a period of hyena dominance in Tsagaan-Agui Cave; however, human presence is also recorded in the Gobi Altai region, both here and at Khutul Usny Cave, and is supported by absolute dating and anthropological evidence.