Department of Stone Age Archaeology

The Stone Age Department is the Institute's newest department. It was established in 1992, initially as the Paleolithic and Mesolithic Sector, and in 1994 it was transformed into the Stone Age Department. Its director is Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Doctor of Historical Sciences, Professor Kh.A. Amirkhanov.

The department's activities are aimed at giving new impetus to the development of this scientific field, creating a professional environment and a psychological atmosphere conducive to the unification of colleagues from other scientific institutions around the department in the interests of science.

The main topics of scientific research are divided into two main areas: "Humanity and the Natural Environment in the Upper Paleolithic of the Russian Plain" and "Initial Development and the Early Stages of Northern European Culture." The first area was implemented from 1995 to 1997. Within the framework of the "Eastern Gravettian" project on the Russian Plain, other topics are no less important. These include the development of theoretical aspects of the Paleolithic cultural layer, the Stone Age of the Arabian Peninsula, and the Neolithic of the forest zone of Eastern Europe.

The department employs leading specialists in the field of the Mesolithic of Eastern Europe—Doctor of Historical Sciences L.V. Koltsov and Doctor of Historical Sciences S.V. Oshibkina. In addition to publishing their own monographs, they organized the preparation for publication and editing of the volumes "Mesolithic of the USSR" and "Neolithic of Northern Eurasia" in the multi-volume publication "Archaeology of the USSR" ("Archaeology"). Along with older scientists, young scientists also conduct independent research in the department. It is largely through their efforts that active expeditionary work is conducted on the Volga, Oka, Dnieper, Desna, and Sukhona rivers. The Zaraysk, Khotylevsk, Middle Oka, and Upper Volga expeditions are constantly in operation. expeditions.