Ukrainian Upper Palaeolithic between 40/10.000 BP : current insights into environmental-climatic change and cultural development

Dynamics of cultural development and patterns of land colonisation are discussed in their relation on environmental

change in course of second half of OIS 3 and OIS 2. Accordingly to Ukrainian scheme of stratigraphical subdivision, this period

embraces Bug, Dofinovka, and Prichernomorie intervals. Seven chronological periods are analysed, namely 40/32, 32/28, 28/22,

22/19, 19/18, 18/13, and 13/10.000 BP. Period roughly between 40 and 25.000 BP is characterised by presence of technomorphologically

variable Middle and Upper Palaeolithic industries, often overlapping spatially and temporally. Period between 25

and 13.000 BP is characterised by chronologically gradual substitution of distinct industries, while pattern of coexisting but

technomorphologically particular industries again is typical for the period after 13.000 BP. Biological and mineral resources were

not dispersed evenly through the territory under consideration. Areas with rich and predictable resources of both kinds were

associated mainly with the extreme south and west of territory of modern Ukraine. Patterns of land colonisation either by MP or UP

occupants between 40-22.000 BP demonstrate strong association of populated areas with regions of higher biodiversity and richness

of lithic raw materials. Significantly different situation is reported for the period between 22-18.000 BP, when population was

concentrated in steppes of southern part of the country. Pattern of land colonisation crucially changed after 18.000 BP, when

previously abandoned areas of tundra-like landscapes were intensively colonised. Since 18.000 BP land colonisation demonstrates

no restrictions conditioned by landscape, climate, and peculiarities of distribution of biological and mineral resources.

Keywords: Ukraine, Upper Palaeolithic, environment, cultural development