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The Upper Paleolithic paleolandscapes: A record in the paleosol-sedimentary sequence of the archaeological site Kostenki 17 (Voronezh region, Russia)
The Kostenki-Borshevo archaeological complex, located on the right bank of the Don Valley, is the largest cluster of Upper Paleolithic sites in Eastern Europe. Despite extensive research, many paleoecological issues related to these sites remain unresolved, particularly those concerning the history of their surface and pedogenic processes. In this study, we focus on the topography and the colluvial paleosol–sediment sequence at Kostenki 17 (K-17) as one of the most representative sites in terms of landscape record completeness. Our research involved geodetic surveys, drilling, tephra analysis, and a variety of soil-lithological methods, including grain size analysis, loss on ignition (LOI), X-ray fluorescence (XRF), organic carbon content (TOC), and both macro- and micromorphological analyses.
The results of the research made it possible to trace the stages of the recent geological history of the K-17 site and to reconsider some established ideas about the sedimentation and pedogenic processes that formed the deposits containing cultural layers. We have shown that the K-17 site is not part of a river terrace, as was often previously believed, but belongs to a colluvial cover leaning against the base of the bedrock slope of the valley. Convincing evidence was found for the presence of permafrost and solifluction process, which deformed the so-called Upper Humic Bed (UHB, second part of MIS 3), containing cultural layer I. Additionally, we have identified that the formation of the paleosols within the UHB was significantly impacted by humans. The high saturation of wood and bone charcoal, as well as artefacts, point to an anthropogenic influence on soil formation. For the first time, reliable geochemical evidence has been obtained for the source of volcanic ash at the K-17 site. We made the assumption that the site was chosen for settlement by Paleolithic humans based on its geomorphological position.