The significance of the Pleistocene periglacial loess-palaeosol sequences study for the knowledge of the Palaeolithic of Ukraine

The Pleistocene periglacial loess-palaeosol series covers about 70% of the territory of Ukraine. The loess-palaeosol mantle of the Volhynian and Podolian uplands, which are the reference region of our many years of research, is even larger, almost continuous in area. Loess is also widespread on the surfaces of the high river terraces in the Forecarpathians.

Dozens of key sections of the Quaternary deposits were studied in Volhyn-Podillia and Forecarpathians using the most modern analytical methods. Among them are sections of Novovolynsk, Boyanychi, Torchyn, Horokhiv, Korshiv, Dubno, Rivne, Basiv Kut, Zdolbuniv (Volhynian upland), Velykyi Hlybochok, Proniatyn, Ihrovytsia, Ternopil, Malyi Khodachkiv, Pidvolochysk, Volochysk, Krasnosilka, Sharovechka, Yarmolyntsi, Letychiv, Vanzhuliv (Podolian upland), Halych, Kolodiiv, Torhanovychi (transition zone to the Forecarpathian upland), etc. P. Tutkovskyi developed an aeolian hypothesis of loess origin (1899) based on the materials of the study of loess deposits in the west of Ukraine, and W. Łoziński introduced the concept of "periglacial" into scientific circulation in 1909.

In the loess-palaeosol series of the west of Ukraine, a number of well-known Palaeolithic sites were discovered and studied, namely the Lower Palaeolithic site of Korolevo, the Middle Palaeolithic sites of Yezupil I, Yezupil II, Mariampil I, Mariampil V, Velykyi Hlybochok I, Proniatyn, Ihrovytsia, Buhliv V, Upper Palaeolithic sites of Vanzhuliv (Zamchysko), Kulychivka, Lypa and many others.

The significance of the study of the periglacial loess-palaeosol sequences for the study of the Palaeolithic of Ukraine is as follows.

• Solving the problems of stratification of Palaeolithic cultural horizons, substantiation of their age. The results of absolute dating of the Quaternary deposits are important in this context.
• Solving the issues of preservation of cultural horizons and their redeposition by diluvial-solifluction processes. Palaeocryogenic analysis, widely used in the study of the loess-palaeosol series of the Pleistocene, is very promising here.
• Correlation of Palaeolithic cultural horizons with stratigraphic ones.
• The results of the study of loess-palaeosol sequences make it possible to more thoroughly understand the living conditions of ancient people, to study the ways of their migration and adaptations to climate, landscape and ecosystem change.

 

Acknowledgements

This study was supported by the project of the National Research Foundation of Ukraine, grant number 2020.02/0165.