Vladivostok, March 17-18, 2008

On March 17-18, 2008, Vladivostok hosted the International Archaeological Conference " Neolithic and Neolithization of the Sea of Japan Basin. Man and the Historical Landscape", dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the outstanding Russian archaeologist academician A. P. Okladnikov. It was organized by the Far Eastern State University (Vladivostok), the Institute of Archeology and Ethnography of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences (Novosibirsk), and the Research Institute of Man and Nature (Kyoto). The scientific forum was attended by experts from several Russian cities, colleagues from Japan, the United States and the United Kingdom. The conference presented a wide range of reports on the problems of studying the Neolithic cultures of the region, theoretical aspects of neolithization, paleogeographic reconstructions, computer models using the capabilities of GIS technologies. Special presentations were devoted to the contribution and role of Academician A. P. Okladnikov to Far Eastern and world archaeology.

Key words: Neolithic, Sea of Japan, ceramics, cultures, periodization.

On March 17-18, 2008, Vladivostok hosted the International Archaeological Conference " Neolithic and Neolithization of the Sea of Japan Basin. Man and the Historical Landscape", dedicated to the centenary of the outstanding Russian archaeologist Academician Alexey Pavlovich Okladnikov. The scientific forum was organized by the Far Eastern State University (FEGH Vladivostok). The Institute of Archeology and Ethnography (IAET) of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences (Novosibirsk) and the Research Institute of Man and Nature (Kyoto). The venue and theme of the conference were not chosen by chance. A. P. Okladnikov devoted much of his research, books, articles and speeches to Neolithic themes, characterization and periodization of ancient cultures of the Neolithic era, description of funerary rites, interpretation of vivid examples of Neolithic art (petroglyphs, stone and clay plastic, ornamentation, etc.). dozens of expeditions were organized and conducted, the most important monuments of the Neolithic period were explored, and epochal discoveries were made.

The concept of "neolithization", in contrast to the traditional but outdated term" Neolithic revolution", reflects not only technological changes, but also major changes in the social sphere.

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the structure of society, the evolution of ritual practices, the nature of relationships with the environment, etc.Specialists in Western and Northern Europe, Near Asia, and in recent years in East Asia (Japan, Korea) are actively engaged in the development of these issues.

The conference was attended by Russian archaeologists from Vladivostok, Khabarovsk, Magadan, Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk and Novosibirsk, as well as foreign colleagues from Japan, the United States and the United Kingdom. In just two days of work, 24 reports were submitted.

Opening the conference, the Rector of the Far Eastern University, Professor V. I. Kurilov, welcomed Russian and foreign participants, highly appreciated the role of Academician A. P. Okladnikov in the development of the humanitarian component of Russian science and higher education, and also stressed that Okladnikov's traditions are embodied both in modern archaeological research conducted by the university staff and in the activities of the Museum of Archeology and Ethnography Far Eastern State University is one of the best in Russia today.

The conference began with vivid memoirs presented by A. P. Okladnikov's students, archaeologists who had worked side by side with him on expeditions for many years and knew him intimately. D. L. Brodyansky (Far Eastern State University) in his speech "Okladnikov - Neolithic researcher" spoke about the most significant discoveries of the scientist in the Far East and noted that the Neolithic theme passed through the whole life of Alexey Pavlovich-from the first published work to the latest articles and monographs. The most interesting report "On A. P. Okladnikov's expeditions in Primorye (1966-1978)" was delivered by V. E. Medvedev (IAET SB RAS). He reproduced in detail the chronology of these expeditions and described A. P. Okladnikov's last trip to Primorye in a touching way, accompanying his story with rare photographs.

Further, the work of the conference continued in the framework of several thematic blocks and research problems. First of all, it concerns the analysis and interpretation of the oldest ceramic complexes in the Far East. In his report "On the Early Neolithic of the Amur region and the ceramics of the Osipov culture", V. E. Medvedev argued that the Osipov culture (13-10 thousand years AGO) belongs to the Neolithic period, and not to the so - called Mesolithic with ceramics. L. N. Mylnikova and SP. Nesterov (IAET SB RAS) introduced colleagues to the results of physico-chemical analyses conducted on the materials of the Kosanni monument (South Korea), and highlighted the features of manufacturing the earliest ceramic dishes. I. Y. Ponkratova (North-Eastern Integrated Research Institute of the Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Magadan) demonstrated the evolutionary picture of pottery production in the north of the Russian Far East from the Neolithic to the Paleometallic epoch.

A whole series of reports was devoted to the latest discoveries and research in the Amur region, Primorye and Sakhalin. SP. Nesterov dwelled on the features of the stratigraphic situation on the new monument of the Gromatukhin culture of Chernihiv-on-Zee, described the stone inventory and problems of its interpretation. I. Y. Shevkomud (Khabarovsk Regional Museum of Local Lore, Khabarovsk) made a report on joint Russian-Japanese research in 2007 on the Malaya Gavan multi-layered monument on the Lower Amur. Based on a series of radiocarbon dates, he identified the problem of chronological correlation between the Malyshev and Condon antiquities and proposed to distinguish between the latter early (6,760 thousand years AGO and earlier) and late (6 240 - 6 180 thousand bp) types.

St. Batarshev (Far Eastern State University) in his report "Rudninsk archaeological culture and problems of Neolithic periodization in Primorye" proposed to define the early Neolithic with a period of 9 - 8 thousand years AGO, the middle - 7.5 - 5 and the late-5-3.5 The author assigned the Rudninsk, Boysman, and Vetka cultures to the Middle Neolithic. An alternative version in the joint report "New data on the Neolithic of Primorye (based on research in the 2000s)" was proposed on. Klyuev and A.V. Garkovik (Institute of History, Archeology and Ethnography of the Peoples of the Far East) Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Vladivostok). Based on the materials of a group of monuments in Western and Central Primorye, they identified the Sheklyaev archaeological culture, comparable in time to the Rudninsk one, and identified the so-called Sergeyevsky variant as the result of their contacts.

Two reports were devoted to the recently identified Vetka Neolithic culture in Primorye. N. Dorofeeva (Far Eastern State University) identified the stone industry of the Neolithic layer of Vetka-2 as plate-shaped using the enhanced pressing technique and compared it with similar materials of the monuments of the Sailor-Fisherman, Ustinovka-8, Nikolaevskaya Pad (Primorye) and Sinkailu (China). (After comparing the Vetka Neolithic ceramics with the Rudninsk, Boysman, and Condon ones, the researchers concluded that it is possible to distinguish it as an independent cultural type in the range of stamped ceramics in the south of the Far East.

A. A. Krupyanko (Far Eastern State University) in his report "The Valley of the Mirror River: upstream" described in detail the new materials obtained during the excavations of a group of monuments in the lower and middle reaches

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rivers. Of particular importance in this series are the data on Ustinovka-8, which for the first time in the history of the archaeological study of the area gave abundant information on all the Neolithic cultures of the Eastern Sikhote-Alin-Rudninskaya, Vetkinskaya, Zaisanovskaya.

A. A. Vasilevsky (Sakhalin State University, Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk) introduced his colleagues to ceramics, stone implements, housing planigraphy, and the economic specialization of the unique Middle Neolithic Sonia culture (6,7 - 5,6 thousand years ago) on Sakhalin Island.

The results of complex research conducted in an interdisciplinary manner were presented in reports on the relationship between man and the natural environment in the Neolithic period. A. N. Popov and Yu. A. Mikishin (Far Eastern State University) in their joint report "Nature and man in the Neolithic of Primorye" addressed the changes in natural and climatic conditions and cultural dynamics in the Early and Middle Holocene. E. A. Sergusheva (IIAENDV Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences) described the emergence of a productive economy in the territory of Southern Primorye (about 5 thousand years ago).) as a multi-stage and complex process that lasted for at least 2 thousand years.

An extremely interesting set of reports was presented at the conference by foreign participants. P. Jordan (University of Aberdeen, Scotland) in his report "Prospects for comparative research: Neolithization in Western Europe" introduced colleagues to the main areas of research on the process of neolithization - the spread of the productive economy, the complexity of the social structure, and the growth of the population. settlement and ritual centers.

Yunzo Uchiyama (Scientific Research Institute of Man and Nature) in his presentation "Why did the shell heaps disappear?" elaborated on the mutual influence of the natural environment, economic activities and the worldview of the bearers of the Jomon culture. Oki Nakamura (Kokugakuin University, Tokyo) addressed the problem of the evolution of the ritual landscape during the Jomon period (from 16 to 3 thousand years AGO) in Northern Japan. The components of this system were ritual structures (mounds, stone rings, stone stelae, wooden structures), landscape elements (mountains, river mouths, lakes) and astronomical landmarks (sunrise and sunset points at different times of the year). Leo Hosoya (Research Institute of Man and Nature), using an ethno-archaeological approach, showed a vivid video sequence that shows the ritualization of residential and household objects (barns, storage facilities) during the Yayoi period as the social structure of society becomes more complex. Shinji Ito (Kokugakuin University) in his report "Landscape placement of Neolithic settlements in Primorye and neighboring regions" proposed a model according to which Neolithic settlement and burial complexes in this territory can be divided into two types - "ribbon" and "ring". As an illustration of the latter, he demonstrated the similarity in the organization of burial grounds on the monuments of Boisman-2 and Sinkail. This block of reports was joined thematically by the presentation of A. V. Tabarev (IAET SB RAS) "Prestigious technologies, commercial rituals and complex societies of the stone Age, the Russian Far East", in which the author clearly demonstrated the signs of such technologies and rituals in the materials of monuments in the region.

Two presentations were entirely focused on the possibilities of using computer technologies in archaeological research. K. Gillam (University of South Carolina) in the report "Prospects for the use of GIS and archaeological modeling in the Sea of Japan basin" elaborated on modern technical parameters of maps, software requirements, and areas of application of databases for building various models of cultural genesis. Belushkin (Far Eastern State University) presented the concept of using geographic information systems and data representation in the joint Russian-Japanese project NEOMAP ("Neolithization and Modernization"). During the final discussion, its participants positively assessed the experience of holding the first thematic conference on the Neolithic of the Far East and noted the high information level of all the reports presented. It is generally agreed that the conference will give a new impetus to field research, theoretical developments and international cooperation.

It should also be noted that by the beginning of the conference, the organizers published a collection of reports*. People's Artist of Russia G. D. Pavlishin (Khabarovsk) took part in its design, as well as in the preparation of a colorful poster.

* Neolithic and Neolithization of the Sea of Japan basin. Chelovek i istoricheskiy landshape: Mat-ly Mezhdunar. ar-heol. conf., dedicated to 100th anniversary of the birth of A. P. Okladnikov. March 17-18, 2008-Vladivostok: Publishing House of the Far East. state University, 2008, 256 p. (in Russian)

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