CONTRIBUTION TO THE KNOWLEDGE OF PALEOLIT HIC FROM MONGOLIA - A STUDYOF THE SITES OF HOVD-AIMAK (MONGOLIAN ALTAI)

Seizing the opportunity of a digging field journey ment to evaluate th e archaeological potentialities of Hoit Tsenkher agui's cave, we have set up an inventory of supposed Palaeolithic settlements in Togrog's d istrict (or Manhan,Khov aimak, Mongolian Altai) formerly pointed out b y sovieto-mongol expeditions. All the archaeological deposits are asso ciated with fluviatile formations (lower terraces) located along the m ain rivers, especially Hoit Tsenkher gol and Dund Tsenkher gol. Lackin g the pedo-sedimentary assessment, we priviliged techno-economic analy sis. Moreover, an evaluation digging was carried out by a granitic cli ft foot oo (Tsakhirin uzuur). With a few exceptions, the lithic assemb lages take place within the central-eastern Asian Middle Palaeolithic' s variability, with an exclusive use of local stone pebbles (schist, d olerite, quartz..). The generalized coexistence of different ''chaines operatoires'' (Levallois, discoid, cores cf. choppers, bifacial tools ) must be noticed, All these elements show the region's huge potential ities for Mongolian Palaeolithic's knowledge.