C-14 CHRONOLOGY OF STONE-AGE CULTURES IN THE RUSSIAN FAR-EAST

Ca. 150 unequivocal C-14 dates from the prehistoric cultures in the Ru ssian Far East can be used to elucidate chrono-cultural boundaries in that region. Microblade technology started as early as ca. 20,000 BP, and continued to exist in the middle Amur River basin until ca. 10,500 sp, and in Primorye until ca. 7800 sp. The emergence of pottery-makin g in the lower Amur River basin goes back to cn. 13,300 sp. The transi tion from Upper Paleolithic to Neolithic took place during the time in terval 13,300-7800 BP and pottery was widely spread in the Russian Far East by ca. 6700-8400 BP. The first evidence of shellfish collection is estimated to ca. 6400 sp at Peter the Great Gulf coast, Sea of Japa n. The beginning of agriculture in Primorye, based on finding of both millet seeds (Setaria italica L.) and pollen of cultivated cereals (Ce realia), is C-14-dated to ca. 4200-3700 BP (ca. 1980-2900 cal Be), The Neolithic/Early Iron Age boundary was estimated at ca. 3100-3300 BP ( 1400-1600 cal no) in the mainland Russian Far East, and to ca. 1800-23 00 BP (400 cal BC-200 cal AD) on the Sakhalin and southern Kuril Islan ds.