First Reconstruction of the Habitat of Hunter-Gatherers in the Mamakan Archaeological Area in the Middle Holocene, Patom Highlands

The first radiocarbon-dated pollen record from the Mamakan section is presented. This record has become the basis for the reconstruction of the vegetation and climate of the Middle Holocene in the Mamakan archaeological area, where a number of well-known Siberian archaeological sites of the Late Mesolithic–Middle Bronze period are located. Reconstructions suggest that sparse spruce and larch stands dominated in the area between 6450 and 6150 cal BP. Later, from 6150 to 4700 cal BP, Scots pine began to spread in a warmer climate than before, following the general trend of its expansion in the southern part of Eastern Siberia. A cooler climate than previously with increased soil and air humidity occurred in the Mamakan region from 4700 to 3840 cal BP, causing the regional expansion of Siberian pine. The time interval from 3840 to 3600 cal BP was characterized by the significant development of pine, spruce, and larch forests. On the basis of the age model, we assume that, in the lower reaches of the Vitim River and, probably, in other mountain regions north of Lake Baikal, Scots pine spread about 600 years later than in the Cis-Baikal region and east of the lake. This transition from dark coniferous-taiga to light coniferous-taiga with a predomination of Scots pine signifies the most fundamental change in vegetation of the Baikal region in the Holocene. This is often discussed as one of the possible causes of the Middle Neolithic cultural hiatus (6660–6060 cal BP), which has been documented in the archaeological records from different parts of this vast region. Reconstruction of vegetation in the Mamakan region suggests that the territory of the Nizhnii Vitim River has been favorable for humans during most of the hiatus recorded in the Cis-Baikal area and may have been considered as a refuge for populations of hunter-gatherers in the Middle Neolithic.