Sergey A. Vasil'ev

Let's Dig Together:
Problems and Perspectives in Collaborative Russian-American Archaeological Studies

    The vast territory of Russia covers a colossal archaeological resource, which is of crucial importance for the pivotal issues of the Early Man studies. The sites of the East European Plain with impressive structures made of mammoth bones and sophisticated mobile art document the Upper Paleolithic adaptations to the periglacial environments. The record from Siberia and the Russian Far East is of great relevance to the problems of the peopling of the New World. The last decade has been seen a remarkable upsurge in the international co-operation, which is evidenced by a number of on-going joint projects. American archaeologists take part in the exploration of Paleolithic sites in the Central Russian Plain, Northern Caucasus, Siberia and the Russian Far East. Meanwhile the scale of collaborative efforts is still far from being adequate. This is partly due to the methodological differences in approaches dominated in Russian and American prehistoric archaeology. The Russian archaeology, formally attached to history, is concentrated more on the reconstruction of regional culture developments and artifact studies. It should be added that this line of inquiry led to the consequent under-estimation of environmental factors in culture development and change. On the contrary, the American archaeology, regarded as integral part of anthropology, is oriented toward the study of general patterns of culture evolution, adaptations and subsistence behavior. The active interaction of various national archaeological schools is extremely instrumental in stimulating the advance of Paleolithic studies, introducing the state-of-the-art American technology and expertise into the rich Russian prehistoric record. Nonetheless the Russian school of prehistory has a lot of outstanding achievements, especially in those areas as analysis of settlements and dwelling structures, use-wear analysis, etc. Paleolithic studies carried out by the leading centers of research produced a large amount of high-quality evidence, which may be successfully used by a wide community of prehistorians, especially to those who are interested in treating this evidence in a broad anthropological context. This research greatly benefited from my study trip to the USA, generously supported by the Fulbright Scholar Program, and numerous contacts with American colleagues.

я.ю.бЮЯХКЭЕБ
хМЯРХРСР ХЯРНПХХ ЛЮРЕПХЮКЭМНИ ЙСКЭРСПШ пюм

дЮБЮИРЕ ЙНОЮРЭ БЛЕЯРЕ:
ОПНАКЕЛШ Х ОЕПЯОЕЙРХБШ ЯНБЛЕЯРМШУ ПНЯЯХИЯЙН-ЮЛЕПХЙЮМЯЙХУ ЮПУЕНКНЦХВЕЯЙХУ ХЯЯКЕДНБЮМХИ

    нАЬХПМЮЪ РЕППХРНПХЪ пНЯЯХХ ЯНДЕПФХР НЦПНЛМНЕ ВХЯКН ЮПУЕНКНЦХВЕЯЙХУ ОЮЛЪРМХЙНБ, ХЛЕЧЫХУ ЙКЧВЕБНЕ ГМЮВЕМХЕ ДКЪ ХЯЯКЕДНБЮМХЪ ДПЕБМЕИЬХУ ЩРЮОНБ ХЯРНПХХ ВЕКНБЕВЕЯРБЮ. яРНЪМЙХ бНЯРНВМНИ еБПНОШ Я ХУ БОЕВЮРКЪЧЫХЛХ ЯННПСФЕМХЪЛХ ХГ ЙНЯРЕИ ЛЮЛНМРЮ Х БЕКХЙНКЕОМШЛ ХЯЙСЯЯРБНЛ ЪПЙН ДЕЛНМЯРПХПСЧР ЮДЮОРЮЖХЧ ОЮКЕНКХРХВЕЯЙХУ ЯННАЫЕЯРБ Й ОПХКЕДМХЙНБШЛ СЯКНБХЪЛ. б ЯБНЧ НВЕПЕДЭ, ДЮММШЕ ОН яХАХПХ Х дЮКЭМЕЛС бНЯРНЙС ЙПЮИМЕ БЮФМШ ДКЪ ХГСВЕМХЪ ОЕПБНМЮВЮКЭМНЦН ГЮЯЕКЕМХЪ ВЕКНБЕЙНЛ мНБНЦН яБЕРЮ. гЮ ОНЯКЕДМЕЕ ДЕЯЪРХКЕРХЕ ГДЕЯЭ СЯОЕЬМН ПЮГБХБЮЕРЯЪ ЛЕФДСМЮПНДМНЕ ЯНРПСДМХВЕЯРБН, Х ЮЛЕПХЙЮМЯЙХЕ ЮПУЕНКНЦХ ОПХМХЛЮЧР ЮЙРХБМНЕ СВЮЯРХЕ Б ПЮАНРЮУ МЮ пСЯЯЙНИ пЮБМХМЕ, яЕБЕПМНЛ йЮБЙЮГЕ, Б яХАХПХ Х МЮ дЮКЭМЕЛ бНЯРНЙЕ. рЕЛ МЕ ЛЕМЕЕ, ЛЮЯЬРЮА ЯНБЛЕЯРМШУ ХЯЯКЕДНБЮМХИ ОНЙЮ ДНБНКЭМН НЦПЮМХВЕМ. щРН БН ЛМНЦНЛ НАЗЪЯМЪЕРЯЪ ПЮГКХВХЪЛХ Б ЛЕРНДНКНЦХХ ОНДУНДЮ ПНЯЯХИЯЙХУ Х ЮЛЕПХЙЮМЯЙХУ ЮПУЕНКНЦНБ. пНЯЯХИЯЙЮЪ ЮПУЕНКНЦХЪ, ТНПЛЮКЭМН ОПХВХЯКЕММЮЪ Й ХЯРНПХВЕЯЙХЛ МЮСЙЮЛ, СДЕКЪЕР НЯМНБМНЕ БМХЛЮМХЕ ПЕЙНМЯРПСЙЖХХ НЯНАЕММНЯРЕИ ПЕЦХНМЮКЭМНИ ЙСКЭРСПМНИ ХЯРНПХХ Х ЮМЮКХГС ЮПРЕТЮЙРНБ. щРН ГЮВЮЯРСЧ ОПХБНДХР Й МЕДННЖЕМЙЕ ПНКХ ОПХПНДМНИ ЯПЕДШ Б ПЮГБХРХХ ДПЕБМЕИ ЙСКЭРСПШ. мЮОПНРХБ, ЮЛЕПХЙЮМЯЙЮЪ ЮПУЕНКНЦХЪ, ЯВХРЮЧЫЮЪЯЪ ВЮЯРЭЧ НАЫЕИ ЮМРПНОНКНЦХХ, Б АНКЭЬЕИ ЛЕПЕ МЮЖЕКЕМЮ МЮ БШЪБКЕМХЕ ГЮЙНМНЛЕПМНЯРЕИ ЙСКЭРСПМНЦН Х УНГЪИЯРБЕММНЦН ПЮГБХРХЪ, ЮДЮОРЮЖХХ ДПЕБМХУ НАЫЕЯРБ. бГЮХЛНДЕИЯРБХЕ МЮЖХНМЮКЭМШУ ЬЙНК ХЯЯКЕДНБЮМХЪ ОЕПБНАШРМНЯРХ НВЕМЭ БЮФМН ДКЪ ХГСВЕМХЪ ОЮКЕНКХРЮ Х ОНГБНКЪЕР ОПХЛЕМХРЭ МНБЕИЬХЕ ЮЛЕПХЙЮМЯЙХЕ РЕУМХВЕЯЙХЕ ЯПЕДЯРБЮ Х ЛЕРНДХЙХ ДКЪ ХЯЯКЕДНБЮМХЪ ПНЯЯХИЯЙХУ ОЮЛЪРМХЙНБ. б РН ФЕ БПЕЛЪ ЯРНХР НРЛЕРХРЭ, ВРН НРЕВЕЯРБЕММЮЪ ЮПУЕНКНЦХЪ ХЛЕЕР ПЪД ДНЯРХФЕМХИ, НЯНАЕММН Б НАКЮЯРХ ЬХПНЙНЛЮЯЬРЮАМНЦН ХГСВЕМХЪ ОЮКЕНКХРХВЕЯЙХУ ФХКХЫ Х ОНЯЕКЕМХИ, РПЮЯНКНЦХВЕЯЙХУ ХЯЯКЕДНБЮМХЪУ Х Р.Д. дЮММШЕ, ОНКСВЕММШЕ МЮЬХЛХ БЕДСЫХЛХ ХЯЯКЕДНБЮРЕКЭЯЙХЛХ ЖЕМРПЮЛХ, ЛНЦСР АШРЭ Я СЯОЕУНЛ ХЯОНКЭГНБЮМШ Б ЛХПНБНИ ЮПУЕНКНЦХХ. яПЮБМХРЕКЭМНЕ ХЯЯКЕДНБЮМХЕ ЯРЮКН БНГЛНФМШЛ АКЮЦНДЮПЪ ОНЕГДЙЕ Б яью, НАЕЯОЕВЕММНИ оПНЦПЮЛЛНИ тСКАПЮИР, Х ЛМНЦНВХЯКЕММШЛХ ЙНМРЮЙРЮЛХ Я ЮЛЕПХЙЮМЯЙХЛХ ЙНККЕЦЮЛХ.