Late Pleistocene Paleoenvironments and Episodic Human Occupations in the Orkhon Valley of Central Mongolia

A new study of the Orkhon Valley, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in central Mongolia, reveals that human occupation during the Late Pleistocene was closely tied to shifting paleoenvironmental conditions. Research at Moiltyn-am and other Paleolithic sites indicates that a relatively humid climate prevailed during Marine Isotope Stage 3 (MIS-3), followed by aridification and sediment redeposition. Faunal analysis suggests that humans primarily hunted Bos sp. and equids, with Caprinae becoming more significant in the Early Upper Paleolithic. The study uses rare earth elements, Strontium isotopes, and faunal assemblages to reconstruct past climates and human adaptations, providing insights into the complex interactions between early human societies and their environments.

Khatsenovich, A. M., Vishnevskaya, I. A., Bazargur, D., Volvakh, A. O., Klementiev, A. M., Ge, J., Zhilich, S. V., Marchenko, D. V., Okuneva, T. G., Kogai, S. A., Gunchinsuren, B., Rybin, E. P., Olsen, J. W., & Derevianko, A. P. (2021). Late Pleistocene Paleoenvironments and Episodic Human Occupations in the Orkhon Valley of Central Mongolia. Archaeology, Ethnology & Anthropology of Eurasia, 49(2), 3–22. https://doi.org/10.17746/1563-0110.2021.49.2.003-022