Home – Home – Jornals – Humanitarian sciences in Siberia 2021 number

This article continues the generalizing research on the scientific concepts of the late Neolithic of Western Amur Region. There was a relative lull in studying the Neolithic in the region from the late 1970s to early 2000s. Despite this, the 1980s- 1990s can be classified as a separate stage, when the Osinoozersk culture cartography continued to expand, and the source base for the further studies accumulated. This was largely derived from archaeological surveying and discovery of the late Neolithic data as results of stationary investigations on multilayer sites in the region. At this stage, university archaeological studies started and the municipal archaeological service was created that made a great contribution to the discovery and preservation of the late Neolithic sites. A new phase of archaeological research has begun in Western Amur Region since the early 2000s. This period has been marked with beginning a new stage of stationary work of the Institute of Archeology and Ethnograpgy of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IAET SB RAS) on the regional late Neolithic sites. The field work led to the start of international expeditions in the region. In 2003, the Center for Preservation of the Historical and Cultural Heritage of Amur Region was established. Its activity made a significant contribution to studying the late Neolithic. The research resulted in broadening the source base to analyze the Osinoozersk culture; new types of cultural sites were discovered, which made it possible to identify a number of features in the housebuilding, stone tools and pottery of the late Neolithic era. Despite this, many issues remain to be discussed and resolved at the moment. On the one hand, a problem to solve is the culture chronology and its relationship with the early Neolithic Novopetrovka culture; on the other hand, its relation with the early Iron Age population in western Amur Region has to be proved. The transition of the Osinoozerskaya culture bearers to producing economy is the issue deserved to be studied and get additional research. Solving these issues is inextricably linked with the qualitative and quantitative improvement of the source base.