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The active development of the Western Beringia seacoast (lagoons, bars,
sea terraces), as a result of the formation of maritime cultures, occurred
about 5-4 thousand years ago.
Strategies of wildlife management by ancient populations of the region
typically aspired to maximize the effective utilization of all accessible
resources. A significant role in this process was played by migrations to
places of the greatest concentration of natural resources for subsistence.
Algorithms of migrations were determined by resource requirements and natural
seasonal rhythms. In the autumn period the primary migrations were to
coastlines occupied by sea mammals and in the productive open water habitats.
For the Kanchalanskaya and Lakhtinskaya cultures, migrations along a
coast to sea mammal habitats did not probably exceed a distance of 20-30 km since winter
settlements were located nearby. Also during the autumn migrations traveled
upstream along rivers for distances of up to 200 km to areas of deer
crossings, sometimes with the formation of stationary settlements
(Kanchalanskaya Culture, Krasnoe-2).
In the spring, part of the population migrated upstream along the rivers a
distance of 20-30 km
or along the coast as far as 50-70
km, for short periods of time to migratory bird
rookeries (islands, lakes, bars). During the winter migrations up to 30-50 km were associated with
hunting seals at ice holes and along the edge of coastal ice.
Migrations are controlled by natural laws and features determined by
peculiarities of environment and cultural traditions.
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