VESTNIK ARHEOLOGII ANTROPOLOGII I ETNOGRAFII  

 Ή 1 (72)  (2026)

page 5–14                                                                                                                                                                                        RUS

https://doi.org/10.20874/2071-0437-2026-72-1-1

ΣΔΚ 903.01

  http://www.ipdn.ru/_private/a72/5-14.pdf

The typological aspect of the study of bifacial tools within the Sibiryachikha variant of the Altai Middle Paleolithic      

Kharevich, Alena V.,  

PhD, Institute of Archeology and Ethnography SB RAS, Novosibirsk, Russian Federation,
e-mail: aliona.shalagina@yandex.ru, https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2267-2452

Kharevich, Vladimir M.,

PhD, Institute of Archeology and Ethnography SB RAS, Novosibirsk, Russian Federation,

e-mail: mihalich84@mail.ru, https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2632-6888

Markin, Sergey V.,

Doctor of Historical Science, Institute of Archeology and Ethnography SB RAS, Novosibirsk, Russian Federation,

e-mail:  markin@archaeology.nsc.ru, https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4528-8613

Kolobova, Kseniya A.,

Doctor of Historical Science, Institute of Archeology and Ethnography SB RAS, Novosibirsk, Russian Federation,

e-mail: kolobovak@yandex.ru, https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5757-3251

Abstract

Late European Neanderthals, who migrated from the territories of Eastern and Central Europe to the Altai region between 70,000 and 60,000 years BP, introduced a material culture that underwent minimal transformation in their new habitat. The Micoquian technocomplex, documented in the Altai, exhibits characteristics consistent with European industries, most notably the production of plano-convex asymmetrical bifacial tools. This article presents a pioneering assemblage of bifacial tools recovered from Chagyrskaya Cave — a key archaeological site associated with the Sibiryachikha variant of the Altai Middle Paleolithic, featuring notable Micoquian assemblages. A typological approach has been developed for a corpus of 144 bifacial tools, incorporating methodological advances proposed by European researchers. The approach prioritises edge length as a primary criterion, enabling inferences about the degree of reduction, the availability or potential scarcity of high-quality raw materials, and the specific techniques employed in tool retouch. Several types of asymmetrical plano-convex Keilmesser knives have been identified within the analysed complex, including Bocksteinmesser and Klausennischemesser. The analysis of edge angles reveals that bifaces of varying shapes can be classified into distinct functional groups.

Keywords:  Middle Paleolithic, Altai, bifacial tools, technology, typology.

© Kharevich A.V., Kharevich V.M., Markin S.V., Kolobova K.A., 2026

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

 Received 31.03.2025

 Accepted 20.11.2025

Article is published: 15.03.2026

 		   

Funding. The study was supported by the grant of the RSF Ή 24-67-00033.

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