The ancient people in the high-latitude Arctic had well-developed trade

[Judi Lynn]

by Heritage Daily
February 22, 2019

Russian scientists studied the Zhokhov site of ancient people, which is located in the high-latitude Arctic, and described in detail the way of life of the ancient people had lived there.


It turned out that, despite the sparsely populated area, the ancient people had communicated with representatives of other territories and had even exchanged various objects with them through some kind of the fairs.

The Arctic is the coldest part of our planet, where there are no favorable conditions for life. The Arctic regions of the Earth are hardly populated by humans, although in some countries, including Russia, the United States and Norway, there are industrial zones. These zones increase the average population density to 0.35 people / km2 but basically it does not exceed 0.03-0.04 people / km2.

Zhokhov Island, located at 76º N in the New Siberian Islands, 440 kilometers north of the modern coast of the East Siberian Sea, belongs to the High Arcti?. It was discovered here the settlement of the ancient man, Zhokhov site, considered the earliest evidence for human habitation in the High Arctic. In the settlement that existed 9300-8600 years ago, 25-50 people lived permanently. In the remote past, Zhokhov island was a part of the vast plain formed due to drastic sea level drop during the Last Glacial maximum. Because of the post-glacial sea-level rise, this plain was flooded and eroded. At present, Zhokhov site is located in the south-western part of the modern Zhokhov island, near the foot of a low – about 120 m – hill covering it from the severe north-west wind. This place was very convenient for the ancient people. The hill served as an observation point, and because of the proximity to the coast, they always had a supply of wood, which was brought by sea.

The scientists conducted excavations in permafrost and have already investigated a significant part of the monument – 571 square meters. In the course of work, many tools were found made of stone, bones, horns, tusks and wood. These are different tools, items of hunting weapons, details of sleds and diverse home utensils. Among the lithic artifacts there are a lot of microprismatic blades, which served as side-blades for composite tools that served as spear/dart/arrow points and knives. Most of them had been produced of various silicious rocks of local origin, while some of them were made of exotic raw materials unusual for this part of the world such as obsidian, or volcanic glass. The researchers found 79 such items. The ancient people appreciated this material for the best splitting ability among other rocks and valued its extremely thin and sharp cutting edge. This material is also highly appreciated by the researchers because each deposit of obsidian has its own unique geochemical signature, which helps finding the source of the material. Then it is possible to see how it moves through the space and thus we can learn more about the life of ancient people.

More:
https://www.heritagedaily.com/2019/02/the-ancient-people-in-the-high-latitude-arctic-had-well-developed-trade/122731