Hunter-Gatherer Campsites Examined in Mongolia

WROCŁAW, POLAND—Science in Poland reports that well-preserved hearths, pottery, and pendants and beads made from ostrich eggshells have been uncovered at hunter-gatherer campsites in southern Mongolia by a team of researchers led by Mirosław Masojć of the University of Wrocław. These sites are located at more than 5,000 feet above sea level, in an area that includes a source of high-quality flint, caves, and Paleolithic lakes. Stone artifacts and ceramics were recovered from small pits surrounding well-preserved hearths, while clusters of stone tools found at the camps are thought to be traces of workshops, Masojć explained. The study could help researchers determine how climate and environmental changes, as observed in the analysis of sediments from the lake beds, influenced the spread of modern humans into high-altitude regions between approximately 11,600 and 7,000 years ago. To read about burials of Xiongnu Empire nobles in Mongolia, go to "Tomb of the Silver Dragons," one of ARCHAEOLOGY's Top 10 Discoveries of 2019.