Жижиг хөхтөн амьтдын үлдэгдэлд хийсэн шинжилгээ нь Украин дахь Палеолитын үеийн суурингийн ашиглалтын хугацааг тодорхойлоход тусалжээ.
Украины Черкасы мужид орших Мээжиричийн археологийн дурсгалт газар нь мамонтын яс, соёогоор барьсан дөрвөн дугуй хэлбэртэй байгууламжаараа алдартай. Археологич Вэй Чү болон түүний багийнхан эдгээр байгууламжийн нэг болох MBS 4-ийн насжилтыг тодруулах судалгааг “Open Research Europe” сэтгүүлд нийтэлжээ. Энэхүү судалгаанд мамонтын ясыг бус, харин тухайн археологийн давхаргаас олдсон жижиг хөхтөн амьтдын үлдэгдлийг ашигласан нь илүү нарийвчлалтай үр дүнд хүрэх боломжийг олгосон байна.
Судалгааны үр дүнгээр MBS 4 байгууламж нь одоогоос 18,248-аас 17,764 жилийн өмнөх үед хамаарч байгаа бөгөөд 429 жил хүртэлх хугацаанд ашиглагдаж байжээ. Уг байгууламжийн эргэн тойрноос ан агнуурын зэвсэг, яс болон зааны соёон гоёл чимэглэл, нядалсан амьтны үлдэгдэл зэрэг хүний үйл ажиллагааны ул мөр олдсон нь түүнийг орон сууцны зориулалтаар ашиглаж байсныг баталж байна.
Эдгээр олдворууд нь Мээжиричийг мөстлөгийн үеийн байгалийн эрс тэс уур амьсгалд хүмүүс хэрхэн дасан зохицож, аварга амьтдын ясыг хамгаалалтын байгууламж болгон ашиглаж байсныг харуулж байна. Судлаачдын үзэж буйгаар уг суурин нь байнгын оршин суух газар гэхээсээ илүүтэйгээн олон зууны турш цөөн удаагийн давтамжтайгаар эргэн ирж ашигладаг байсан практик шийдэл байжээ. Энэхүү нээлт нь палеолитын үеийн анчин-түүвэрлэгчдийн аж төрөх арга барилын талаарх өмнөх төсөөллийг шинэчилж байна.
Дэлгэрэнгүйг эх сурвалжаас харах
↓Эх сурвалжийг нээх ↓
One of the world’s best-known mammoth bone structures has been dated with greater precision thanks to a new analysis of small mammal remains. The results suggest the shelter at Mezhyrich, Ukraine, was used for up to 429 years, adding fresh evidence to the long-standing idea that it functioned as a dwelling.
The Upper Paleolithic site of Mezhyrich, in Ukraine’s Cherkasy oblast, is home to four circular structures built from hundreds of mammoth bones and tusks. Covering between 12 and 24 square meters, the unusual constructions have fascinated archaeologists for decades because they are among the earliest known built structures associated with hunter-gatherer communities.
Their purpose has remained the subject of debate. Some researchers have viewed them as domestic shelters, while others have proposed that they may have served as food caches, burial sites, ritual spaces, or even early monuments. A study published in Open Research Europe now adds new chronological evidence supporting the interpretation that at least one of these structures was used as a home.
An Ice Age Settlement Unlike Any Other
The new research centers on MBS 4, one of the four mammoth bone structures preserved at Mezhyrich. The authors explain that it is the only structure at the site containing well-documented artifacts within archaeological layers suitable for direct dating.
Around MBS 4, archaeologists uncovered hunting weapons, ivory and bone ornaments, along with numerous other traces of human activity. These included butchered animal remains, workshop areas with dense cultural deposits, and clearly defined activity zones, all organized around the mammoth bone structure. As the researchers explained:
the site featured “delimited activity areas with butchered animal remains and workshops with dense cultural layers, each delimited into economical settlement units with the mammoth bone structure as the focal point.”
Led by archaeologist Wei Chu of Universiteit Leiden, the team also highlights the broader importance of open-air Upper Paleolithic sites across East-Central Europe. These locations preserve stone tools, animal remains, and environmental evidence that help reconstruct human activity during the Late Pleniglacial, a period marked by significant environmental change.
Small Mammals Helped Date the Site
Instead of dating mammoth bones, the researchers examined the remains of small mammals recovered directly from the archaeological layers associated with MBS 4. This approach allowed them to establish a more precise age for the structure.
The study found that MBS 4 dates to approximately 18,248 to 17,764 years ago. The dating also indicates that the structure remained in use for as long as 429 years, making it possible to estimate how long people returned to the site.
The paper describes MBS 4 as dating to “the harshest phase of the last Ice Age.” It also states that the evidence points to an occupation pattern unlike what researchers had previously assumed:
“The occupation span was short; possibly a single or few visits over centuries.This suggests that these bone-built shelters were practical solutions for survival rather than permanent settlements.”
New Evidence Supports the Dwelling Theory
The updated chronology adds weight to the view that MBS 4 functioned as a dwelling rather than another type of archaeological feature. Earlier interpretations had suggested the mammoth bone accumulations might represent bone beds, food caches, burials, religious traditions, or ritualized middens.
The researchers write that the evidence points to a structure that was maintained and reoccupied over several centuries instead of being linked to a brief episode of activity. They also describe Mezhyrich as “a stable, long-term settlement,” while noting that the occupation may have involved only “a single or few visits over centuries.” The authors add that the mammoth bone shelters were practical solutions for surviving the harsh conditions of the last Ice Age.
“They show how communities thrived in extreme environments, turning the remnants of giant animals into protective architecture. As dating methods become more precise, sites like Mezhyrich continue to challenge our assumptions about prehistoric life.”
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