Archaeological and environmental cave records in the Gobi-Altai Mountains, Mongolia

Though hundreds of caves are known across Mongolia, few have been subject to systematic, interdisciplinary archaeological surveys and excavations understand Late Pleistocene Holocene environments. Previous cave in Mongolia demonstrated their potential for preservation biological material, including Palaeolithic assemblages archaeology, particularly burials, with associated organic finds. In other cases, found that stratigraphic deposits materials absent. The large number makes the Mongolian Altai Mountain Range a potentially attractive region human occupation Holocene. Here we present results an survey four carbonate areas Gobi-Altai Mountains. We report 24 new caves, some which contain material recovered through test excavations. Most presented limited sedimentation, were likely too small habitation. Six showed evidence palaeontological remains, most from recent periods. notable anthropogenic findings included petroglyphs at Gazar Agui 1 & 13. also contained lithics bronze fragment. Tsakhiryn 31 wooden fragments include unused fire drilling tool kit items commonly association medieval burials. observed remain contemporary use religious economic purposes, such as construction shrines, mining animal corralling. Water samples nearby rivers, lakes, springs analysed isotopic compositions (?18O, ?D, ?17O, 17Oexcess, d-excess) data, combined backward trajectory modelling revealed receives moisture mainly western sources. These form baseline future archaeological, palaeoclimate palaeoecological studies about regional seasonality land use.