Neolithic and Early Bronze Age of Cis-Baikal: Main Factors and Processes in the Development of Hunter-Gatherer Cultures

Middle Holocene hunter-gatherers (HG) of the Cis-Baikal, Eastern Siberia, display substantial spatiotemporal variation in adaptive strategies highlighted by several cultural transitions. These transitions are examined focusing on role following factors: (1) changes distribution boreal forest; (2) technological innovations; (3) intensification fishing; and (4) their combined impacts subsistence social structure. The expansion retreat forest was important because it directly affected abundance large medium terrestrial game, core for all HG region. All other things being equal, expanding forests meant less game while shrinking more living space HG. bow crucial not only due to its superiority over spear atlatl as a hunting weapon but also flexibility allowed work equally well groups any size environment – or steppe. much higher return rates associated with freed enough labour be allocated activities such fishing. Fishing fisheries were they worked differentiating force: intensive fishing, limited spatial greater micro-regional differences between patterns. Intensive fishing pulled two opposing directions: towards similarities micro-regions. Social relations fine-tuned fabric optimize general strategy. Together, these factors account documented Cis-Baikal: Transition 1 formation Late Mesolithic pattern incipient formal cemeteries ~8630 cal BP; 2 replacement system Angara Southwest Baikal, Little Sea Upper Lena, Early Neolithic Kitoi very ~7560 3 collapse ~6660 BP followed no cemeteries; 4 reappearance ~6060 establishment pattern; 5 Bronze Age ~4970 lastly, 6 end socio-economic ~3470 BP.