Raw Material Durability, Function, and Retouch in the Upper Paleolithic of the Transbaikal Region, Siberia

Abstract

Stone tool reduction intensity and raw material availability have often been correlated with human organizational strategies. Assemblages from Early, Middle, and Late Upper Paleolithic sites in the Transbaikal region of Siberia were compared and assessed for retouch amount using several techniques. These studies reveal that stone tool functional requirements play an important role in the amount and intensity of retouch in the region. It is also shown that artifact function correlates with raw material selection, where certain kinds of activities, such as scraping, are most effectively accomplished with specific raw material characteristics. Human organizational patterns in the Transbaikal region are only evident when these factors are considered in assessing retouch measures.