|
The Ustinovka Complex encompasses a number of
sites located in the Ilistaya River Valley (West Primorye) and in the
Zerkal’naya River Valley (East Primorye) that are grouped under one complex
based on the presence of pressure microblade technology, and to their close age
range. So far, the differences seen in the lithic technology have been
considered primarily as the consequence of lithic raw material.
Raw material availability, quite different in
both regions, had an obvious impact on the lithic toolkit. Although clear
points of technical and technological convergence exist between both regions,
there are also noteworthy differences that cannot be exclusively explained by
the regional distinction of raw material availability. It will be discussed how
the available raw material affects technology in order to have a better
understanding of the real technological peculiarities of each region. Although the influence of the nature of raw
material on the lithic toolkit has already been noticed, how exactly raw
material affects technology has not yet been described. It is the purpose of
this article to see what differences are not necessarily caused by raw
material, thus considered as real and profound technological variations.
It is concluded that grouping the Palaeolithic
microblade sites from the Ilistaya River Valley and those from the Zerkal’naya
River Valley within the Ustinovka Complex might not be representative of the
archaeological reality of the late Palaeolithic of Primorye. There is evidence
emanating from the lithic technology point of view that actually suggests the
opposite: that both regional clusters of sites do not correspond to the same
complex.
| 