The paper considers the history of studying the Stone Age monuments of the Kulunda steppe, scientific concepts on the periodization and cultural affiliation of microlithic complexes of Kulunda, published in Russian literature in the second half of the XX-beginning of the XXI century. Materials of the Novoilinka III settlement, which belong to the "comb-pit community of the Early Metal age", are analyzed. Radiocarbon dating and analysis of stone, ceramic, and faunal collections indicate that these materials represent the transition period from the Neolithic to the Bronze Age. The scientific potential and prospects of studying the settlement of Novoilinka III allow us to hope for obtaining new highly informative materials that will help us advance in solving complex problems of the ethno-cultural situation in the Altai during the Neolithic and Early Bronze Ages.

Keywords: archeology, archaeological excavations, Neolithic, Eneolithic, Early Bronze Age, settlement, ceramics, prismatic splitting, plate.

Introduction

The Kulunda steppe is one of the most interesting cultural and historical provinces. This plain is raised 100-200 m above sea level and has a flat surface with slight slopes. There are numerous drainless depressions occupied by salt marshes and lakes, as well as areas with hummocky and ridge relief of Aeolian origin (Rassypnov, 2000, p. 25). The Kulunda rivers have shallow valleys, a meandering channel, and low and wide ledges of terraces (Revyakin, Pushkarev, and Revyakina, 1989, p. 11). Rivers are characterized by snow feeding, with spring high water, in summer they become shallow, and in many places they dry up [Sidorenko, 1972, p. 30]. On the territory of the Kulunda steppe there are numerous (more than 2 thousand) lakes of various areas: from three to five to tens of thousands of hectares. All of them are shallow, the depth rarely exceeds 3-4 m. According to the properties of water, they are divided into salty, bittersweet and fresh. Bitter-salty and salt lakes are the most numerous in the steppe. The second group consists of flowing fresh lakes in the Burla, Kasmala, and Barnaul river systems. They are characterized by a strongly elongated shape and a sequential arrangement of one after the other. On the watersheds of these rivers, small closed lakes are scattered, most of them do not have a permanent connection with the river and are connected only during large spring floods. The third group consists of

The work was supported by the federal target program "Scientific and scientific-pedagogical personnel of innovative Russia", the project "Comprehensive historical research in the field of studying Western and Southern Siberia from ancient times to the present" (2009 - 1.1 - 301 - 072 - 016).

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small saucer-shaped lakes scattered randomly across the steppe. Many of them are fresh and are filled with water only in the spring and autumn period (Kambalov, 1952, pp. 59-60).

History of studying the Stone Age monuments of Kulunda

For a long time, the attention of researchers of the Kulunda past was mainly focused on Bronze and Iron Age monuments [Kiryushin et al., 1988; Ivanov, 1988, 1989; Udodov, 1990; Kiryushin and Udodov, 1991; Sitnikov, 1995, 1997; Kiryushin, Papin, Shamshin, 1999; Gelmel, Sitnikov, 2000]. Stone Age localities in the Kulunda steppe have been studied since 1969, when the West Siberian Detachment of the IA of the USSR Academy of Sciences under the leadership of M. F. Kosarev began working in the Karasuk district of the Novosibirsk region (Kuibyshev, 1976). In 1969-1971. More than 20 sites of ceramics and stone tools were discovered, including three with a cultural layer (Kosarev and Kuibyshev, 1974; Kuibyshev, 1976). Materials from the Melkoe I site were attributed by A.V. Kuibyshev presumably to the end of the Mesolithic or Early Neolithic (1976). Interesting data were obtained during the study of the Melkoe II monument, dated "late Neolithic or Eneolithic, i.e. the end of the third-beginning of the second millennium BC" [Ibid., p. 57].A.V. Kuibyshev noted the similarity of archaeological collections from this site and from the settlement of Kiprino on the Upper Ob River [Ibid.]. The bones of horses, large and small cattle found in the excavation allowed the author to make the following conclusions: conclusion about the complex nature of the economy of the ancient Kulundin people, in which rudimentary cattle breeding was combined with fishing, hunting and gathering [Ibid., p.56]. A.V. Kuibyshev gives some characteristics of the stone industry of the monuments Blagodatnoye, Melkoye I and II, Shilova-Kurya. It is noteworthy that at all these sites there are a significant number of end scrapers on plates, knife-shaped plates with and without processing. It is also worth noting the predominance of scrapers in the composition of gun sets [Ibid., p. 57]. In 1983-1984 V. S. Udodov discovered two Stone Age localities near the village of Kropotkin. Ust-Kurya and on the lake. Wild boar (Kungurov and Udodov, 1990). The authors of the publication attributed most of the collected artifacts to the Mesolithic - Early Neolithic, and some to the Paleolithic. In the next article, researchers introduced materials from the Ust-Kurya, Kabanye, and Beregovoe sites into scientific circulation, dating them to the Early Neolithic (Kungurov and Udodov, 1993). In these settlements, the primary cleavage is represented by prismatic nuclei, technical chips from them, and plates, and the tools on the plates make up significant series [Ibid.]. In 1993, on the shore of the lake. Fragments of ceramics and stone products were collected in Kabanye near Ustyanka village, Burlinsky district, Altai Krai (Gelmel, 1995). The identified settlement was named Ustyanka-Vodopoy. The author attributed the collected collections to the Neolithic and Early Metal period [Ibid.]. It can be concluded that individual collections and lifting materials from destroyed monuments represent a rather mosaic picture. The fragmentary nature of the collections at our disposal does not allow us to reconstruct even in general terms the ethno-cultural processes on the territory of Kulunda in the Neolithic era.

Archaeological collections from the settlement of Novoilinka III

In recent years, new representative materials have been obtained from the settlement of Novoilinka III in the Khabar district of the Altai Territory. The monument is open

1. Ceramics from the settlement of Novoilinka III.

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2. Ceramics from the settlement of Novoilinka III.

in 2004, S. M. Sitnikov, under whose supervision about 30 m 2 was uncovered. The circumstances of the occurrence of materials allow us to speak about the preservation of the cultural layer in an undeposited state. The first publication dealt with the problems of chronology, periodization, and cultural affiliation of the monument (Sitnikov, Grushin, and Gelmel, 2006). The researchers noted the scientific potential and prospects of studying the settlement of Novoilinka III, as well as the proximity of the ceramic collection collected there to ceramics from the settlement of Kiprino and other monuments of the Kiprin type. The materials of Novoilinka III were tentatively dated to the first half of the third millennium BC and assigned to the Late Neolithic-Eneolithic [Ibid.].

The collection of ceramics obtained as a result of excavations totals 394 copies. The most representative part of it is the shards of vessels decorated with rows (straight or wavy) of impressions of a receding stick, separated by rows of punctures: 16 fragments of corollas (Fig. 1, 1, 3 - 8), 2 - 2, 3, 7) and 225 wall fragments (Fig. 1-3), of which almost half are very small, from 1x1 to 2x2 cm. In one case, the impressions of the retreating rod form a series of triangles along the corolla (see Figs. 1, 1). As a rule, the wall thickness of vessels in this group is 6 - 9 mm.

A walking comb is used to decorate 30 fragments of the walls (see Figs. 3, 4 - 8) and one of the corolla (see Figs. 1, 2). The thickness of the vessel walls in this group is 4 - 6 mm. The geometric pattern is fixed on eight fragments (see Fig. 2, 1, 2, 4, 6). This group of ceramics is very fragmentary, but the potsherds at our disposal show shaded triangles. The ornament is applied with a comb stamp with elements of dragging. The wall thickness of vessels of this group is 5 - 8 mm. Quite a lot of unornamented ceramics - 113 copies, but mostly they are very small fragments, from 1 × 1 to 2×2 cm.

This division of ceramics into groups is rather conditional. On some fragments, it is clearly visible that the rows of retreating stick prints and tattoos are applied

3. Ceramics from the settlement of Novoilinka III.

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over the impressions of the walking comb (see fig. 1, 2, 4, 5, 8; 2, 3; 3, 5). Individual vessels (see Figures 2, 3) show some traces of surface treatment prior to ornamentation, but we were unable to identify the processing methods. Many fragments of corollas are ornamented along the upper edge on the inner side of the vessel with notches (see Figures 1, 2, 4-8) or impressions of a comb stamp (see Figures 1, 3). The latter can also be traced on the inner surface of shards (see Fig. 1, 4 - 8; 3, 1, 4, 6, 8). We assume that the comb stamp could have been used in the construction of a vessel for processing the joints between clay bundles (or tapes).

Due to the strong fragmentation, the shape of the vessels cannot be reconstructed, but it can only be noted that, judging by two fragments, the bottoms were pointed (see Figs. 2, 3, 7), and some vessels had a corolla slightly bent outwards. Traces of organic substances in the dough are visually recorded.

The collection of stone artefacts from the settlement of Novoilinka III totals 101 copies. Unfortunately, this sample is not representative. Analysis of any stone industry involves creating a tiplist. Due to the small size of the collection, we will limit ourselves to the description of stone artifacts and general preliminary conclusions.

Primary cleavage products are represented by small lamellar flakes. The tool set consists of 44 items: tools on plates (1 copy), flakes (37 copies), with grinding (6 copies). Tools on plates include a chisel made on a medial fragment (Fig. 4, 10). The most representative category of tools on flakes is scrapers (24 copies), of which 20 are intact (Fig. 4, 1 - 3, 5 - 7, 9, 12, 13) and 4 pieces of wreckage. 4, 1), medium-sized (Fig. 4, 2, 3, 5 - 7, 9) 4, 12, 13) products. Oval (round) scrapers (7 copies) are made on ordinary flakes (Fig. 4, 1, 3, 12). The convex working edge occupies the entire perimeter of the workpiece. It is decorated with dorsal, modifying, marginal, or exciting, equal-facet, or multi-facet, sometimes scaly-step retouching. Semi-oval scrapers 8 copies. (fig. 4, 2, 9, 13). The convex working edge occupies 3/4 of the workpiece perimeter. It is designed in the same way as oval scrapers. One scraper is double (Fig. 4, 6). The working blades are located on opposite edges of the workpiece, decorated with a cool retouch. There is also one end side scraper (Fig. 4, 5). Working blades are located on the distal and lateral edges of the workpiece. The first one is decorated with dorsal steep scaly-step retouching, the second - with two-sided: on the dorsal side - steep, on the ventral side - flat retouching. Beveled scrapers (2 copies) are made on ordinary flakes (Figs. 4, 8). The working edges are decorated with dorsal semicircular retouching. The fan-shaped scraper (Figs. 4, 7) is also made on a simple chip. The working edge is located at the distal end of the workpiece and is decorated with a dorsal semicircular scaly-step retouch.

The second largest category is fragments of arrowheads (7 copies) made on flakes

4. Stone tools from the settlement of Novoilinka III. 1 - 3, 5 - 9, 12, 13 - scrapers; 4-a fragment of a chopping tool; 10-a cutter on a plate; 11 - a point; 14, 17-21 - fragments of arrowheads; 15-an abrasive; 16-a combined tool.

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(fig. 4, 14, 17 - 21). Since all products of this category are fragmented, we will not discuss their typology in detail, but most of them probably belong to the so-called willow-leaf tips (Figs. 4, 14, 17, 19) or sub-triangular (Figs. 4, 20) shapes. One fragment has a petiole (Figs. 4, 17). Flakes with retouching 4 copies. The tip is single, typically asymmetrical (Fig. 4, 11). Combined products include a fragment of a large arrowhead with a scraper on it (Fig. 4, 16). Tools with under-grinding are mainly represented by fragments (3 copies). Among them, a fragment of a large chopping tool is very expressive (Fig. 4, 4). We also include two abrasives in this category (Fig. 4, 15).

Industrial waste (56 copies) is the most widespread material. Flakes (16 specimens), flakes (30 specimens), and fragments (10 specimens) were isolated. Flakes include chips with a diameter of less than 1 cm. Impact pads are either pinpoint or indeterminate. Most of the flakes (26 specimens) are small (from 1 to 3 cm), four are medium-sized (from 3 to 5 cm). Among the fragments, there are six small (from 1 to 3 cm), three medium (from 3 to 5 cm) and one large (over 5 cm).

Thus, the collection of stone products from the settlement of Novoilinka III differs from the stone inventory from the monuments Blagodatnoye, Melkoye I and II, Shilova-Kurya (Kuibyshev, 1976, p. 57), Ust-Kurya, Kabanye, and Beregovoe (Kungurov and Udodov, 1993), where plates and tools on plates form representative series. Apparently, we can talk about their different timing.

An analysis of osteological collections from the settlement of Novoilinka III, performed by S. K. Vasiliev, showed that among the detectable bone remains, horse bones absolutely predominate [Sitnikov, Vasiliev, Kiryushin, 2007, p.363]. Most of their measurements approach the average values obtained from similar materials from the Botai settlement in Northern Kazakhstan, and in general, the fauna represented on these sites is very similar in its composition and relative abundance of species [Ibid., p. 365]. There is no consensus among researchers regarding the existence of cattle breeding among the Botay people. Some consider the Botay horse to be wild. We are inclined to think that the inhabitants of the settlement of Novoilinka III were engaged in cattle breeding. It is possible that the formation of the economic and cultural type of this settlement was influenced by the population of East Kazakhstan [Ibid.].

Problems of chronology and cultural affiliation of the Novoilinka III settlement

Ceramics from Novoilinka III have a lot in common with Kiprin type dishes from the territory of the Upper Ob region. For the first time, the cultural identity of Neolithic settlement complexes in the Upper Ob region was considered by M. N. Komarova [1956, p. 94], who "by the nature of ceramics" identified three types of monuments in this region (Kiprinsky, Irbinsky, and Krotovsky), corresponding to three chronological stages of Neolithic culture. Later, Krotovo-type settlements were assigned to the Early Bronze Age and identified by V. I. Molodin (1977, p. 48) as an independent Krotovo culture. V. I. Matyushchenko (1973, p.110, 121) included the settlement complexes of the Upper Ob region in the Upper Ob Neolithic culture, in which two chronological stages were distinguished - Kiprinsky and Irbinsky. He also suggested dating them to the fourth and third millennia BC, noting that this time partially corresponds to the Afanasiev period in Southern Siberia (Matyushchenko, 1960, p. 14). According to V. I. Molodin (1977, p. 25), the development of the Upper Ob Neolithic culture took place in two stages: early - Zavyalovsky, late - Kiprinsky. He attributed the Irba monuments to the Early Metal age [Ibid., p. 36]. Zach (2003, p.146, 155) identified two stages of the Upper Ob Neolithic culture: the early Izylinsky and late Kiprinsky. He also attributed the Irba monuments to the Early Metal Age.

Thus, most researchers within the framework of a single Neolithic culture distinguish several chronological stages (usually two). Everyone has Kiprinsky, in two cases it is early, in two cases it is late. To date, there is no doubt that V. I. Molodin singled out an independent Krotovo culture. Separately, it is worth mentioning the point of view of Yu. F. Kiryushin [2002, p. 38-45], who fully introduced the materials of the settlements of Kiprino and Irba into scientific circulation. In his opinion, these complexes belong to the Eneolithic era. Monuments of the Irbinsky type [Molodin, 1977], or the Kungurov culture [Kungurov, 2007], or the complex [Zakh, 2003; Kungurova, 2003] are attributed by experts either to the Early Metal Age [Molodin, 1977; Zakh, 2003], or to the end of the Stone Age [Kungurov, 2007], or are dated IV-III thousand BC [Kungurova, 2003]. The result is a fairly mosaic picture. This situation is largely explained by the nature of the sources, since most of the materials are obtained from destroyed parking lots, where very often multi-time complexes are represented. This makes it possible to subjectively "read" the source through the prism of a particular scientific concept, since many types of stone artifacts, as well as forms and methods of ornamentation of ceramics, are spread over a vast territory in a wide chronological range.

The ceramic collection from the settlement of Novoilinka III is difficult to compare with synchronous complexes-

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the Kulunds themselves, since the studied monuments either lack ceramics (Shallow I) [Kuibyshev, 1976, p. 53], or are represented very fragmentally [Ibid., p. 57; Gelmel, 1995, p. 46]. Nevertheless, the differences in the technique of ornamentation are noteworthy. The leading element of the ceramic ornament from the Ustyanka-Vodopoy settlement is light oval and teardrop-shaped indentations, while the second place is occupied by the impressions of a comb stamp, and the only ones are elements made by a rocking chair and deep oval indentations (Gelmel, 1995). At the Melkoe II site, ceramics decorated with dimpled ornaments, impressions of a fine-toothed comb, and horizontal dotted lines were found (Kuibyshev, 1976, p. 56). Ornamentation of vessels with a walking comb was widespread from the Neolithic to the Early Bronze Age in the vast territory of Northern Eurasia. Ceramics decorated with geometric ornaments have much in common with the materials of the Botai culture (Seibert, 1993) and Eneolithic monuments of the Middle Trans-Urals (Chairkina, 2005).

We agree with the researchers who noted the proximity of the ceramic collection from the Novoilinka III settlement and the Kiprin type complexes (Sitnikov, Grushin, and Gelmel, 2006). But this thesis needs to be clarified, since the archaeological materials from the settlement of Kiprino represent different epochs from the Neolithic to the Middle Ages. By the Kiprin type we mean the ceramics described by M. N. Komarova [1956, p. 96, Fig. 40]. These are "paraboloid vessels with a convex bottom", in which " the entire surface is covered with an ornament... and often the inner edge of the corolla." "Almost all vessels have a pronounced zoning pattern." "The elements of the pattern consist of the impressions of a receding stick characteristic of this dish, from rows of oblong indentations, sometimes in the form of punctures" [Ibid.].

Undoubtedly, vessels from the settlement of Novoilinka III, decorated with rows of impressions of a receding stick separated by rows of punctures, and dishes from the settlement of Kiprino (Kiprin type) (Molodin, 1977; Kiryushin, 2002) belong to a single cultural tradition. At the same time, it should be noted that the Kiprin type ceramics have a wide range of analogs in the materials of Neolithic - Eneolithic settlements of the Southwestern Altai (Kiryushin and Klyukin, 1985), Baraba (Molodin, 1985), and the southern Taiga zone of Western Siberia (Kiryushin, 2004).

In the Southwestern Altai, ceramics decorated with rows of impressions of a receding stick separated by rows of punctures are found on 10-15 Neolithic - Eneolithic monuments (Kiryushin and Klyukin, 1985, p. 95). Most of them are dune sites that are intensively destroyed by wind erosion. Archaeological collections from these sites are represented by hoisting material, often from different historical periods, which is difficult to separate chronologically [Ibid., p. 74].

On the territory of Baraba, ceramics similar to Kiprin are found in both funerary and settlement complexes. The compositional construction of the ornament on vessels decorated with rows of impressions of a receding stick, separated by rows of punctures (see Figs. 1, 1), finds analogies in the materials of the burial monument of the early metal era Sopka 2/2 ("comb-pit community") [Molodin, 2001, p. 33, Figs. 13, 7]. Ceramics, almost identical to the one we are considering, it was found at the Vengerovo-3 settlement [Molodin, 1977, p. 33, Tables XXXIII, 1-4; XXXIV, 3; XXXV, 2; XXXVI, 8; 1985, p. 17-18, Fig. 3, 1 - 6, 16, 19]. B. I. Molodin, describing the ornamentation of dishes from this settlement, identifies eight ways of applying ornaments, of which the first three are the main ones, and the rest are much less common:

1) dimple pins (oval or round);

2) comb stamp (small-toothed, large-toothed, sub-round comb);

3) indentations in the form of short notches of sub-triangular and oval shape;

4) retreating stick technique;

5) receding spatula technique;

6) receding comb technique;

7) drawing with a stick;

8) "walking" comb, rocking chair [Molodin, 1985, p. 17].

On the settlement of Novoilinka III, all these methods are recorded, except for the seventh. The small uncovered area keeps us from jumping to conclusions, but it seems that the patterns made by the retreating stick, combined with the dimpled tattoos on the monument in question, are the main ornamental motif. Analyzing the compositional construction of the ornament on dishes from the settlement of Vengerovo-3, V. I. Molodin notes: "... all compositions contain dimpled punctures as a mandatory component " [Ibid.]. This is also typical for Novoilinka III.

V. I. Molodin, comparing ceramics from the burials of Sopka-2/2 with comb-pit ware of Western Siberia (Bayryk, Yekaterina, Karasevskaya, etc.), raises the problem of cultural and chronological comparison of these complexes. In his opinion, it is currently impossible to unambiguously answer the question of what is behind this - archaeological cultures within a single community or cultures connected by common traditions of ornamentation of dishes, but at different times, belonging to different periods of the Neolithic and early metal (Molodin, 2001, p.39). We find analogs of ceramics from the settlement of Novoilinka III even in Neolithic and Eneolithic materials of the southern Taiga zone of Western Siberia-

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biri [Kiryushin, 2004, fig. 50, 51, 57; 60, 9; 66, 3 - 7; p. 189]. To clarify, V. I. Molodin suggests using the term "comb-pit community of the Early Metal epoch" (Molodin, 2001, p. 39). In his opinion, the appearance of such complexes in the Neolithic period is possible, but requires serious argumentation in contrast to the materials of the Vengerovo-3 settlement, where metal objects are found together with stone tools, the Neolithic appearance of which is beyond doubt [Ibid.]. The stone inventory of this settlement is rich and diverse. The plate industry accounts for 36.6% of the total complex [Molodin, 1977, pp. 45-47, Tables XL-XLIV].

In the materials of the Novoilinka III settlement, the products of prismatic cleavage are represented by a featureless lamellar cleavage and a chisel made on the medial fragment of a small plate. With a small uncovered area of the monument (40 m2), there is a high probability that some artifacts simply did not fall into the excavation area. Although the absence of primary cleavage products (nuclei, chips from them, products of part-time processing of nuclei) is quite indicative. Apparently, we record a chronological phenomenon-the degradation of prismatic chipping techniques, which began in the Eneolithic era and was associated with the appearance of metal tools. It is well traced in the materials of the Botai culture. V. F. Seibert noted that in the Botai Eneolithic complex, the main preparation was flakes of various shapes and sizes. In his opinion, large plates with irregular faceting are random chips and do not represent stable series [Seibert, 1993, p.185]. If the stone inventory of the Eneolithic Bolshemyss culture at the Tytkesken-2 settlement shows signs of degradation of the prismatic splitting technique, reduction of the tool set, etc. [Kiryushin K. Yu., Kiryushin Yu.F., 2008, p. 114], then this technique is absent in the materials of Novoilinka III, and the composition of tools is characteristic of settlement complexes of the Early Bronze Age.

In recent years, it has been noted that the most ancient metal products in Siberia contain, in addition to copper, artificial impurities. True, "there are also pure copper products, but they are rare" [Kharinsky, Yemelyanova, Rykov, 2009, p. 86]. Based on these facts, scientists come to the following conclusions: "The absence of a period in the history of the Baikal region during which people used only copper things allows us to exclude from the regional cultural and chronological scheme a stage called the Eneolithic. Therefore, it is legitimate to consider the historical period from the appearance of the first things made of non-ferrous metals to the beginning of the spread of iron products-the Bronze Age " [Ibid.].

One can understand the logic of researchers who excluded the stage "called the Eneolithic" from the regional cultural and chronological scheme. Probably, following this logic, the term "Eneolithic" (copper-stone age) it should be replaced with the term "non-ferrous stone age". In the Russian archaeological literature, there are two main approaches to defining the concept of "Eneolithic": formal-semantic and substantive [Masson, 1982, p. 5]. We are impressed by the latter, according to which the Eneolithic is a transition period from the Neolithic to the Bronze Age, when the first metal products, local or imported, appear in archaeological complexes [Ibid.].

In one of our works, we wrote that the absence of metal tools in settlement and burial complexes should not automatically mean that they are classified as Neolithic (Kiryushin et al., 2006, p. 23). Changes in the composition of stone tools, together with an increase in the size of individual artifacts (nuclei and plates), as well as changes in their morphology (creases, irregularity of negative images, etc.), are the basis for raising the question of whether such materials belong to the Eneolithic. If these processes are accompanied by the disappearance of certain categories of inventory (geometric microliths, incisors, carvers, awls and punctures), the complexes should be considered Eneolithic. The reason for this may also be the traces of the use of metal tools, recorded by tracological means on individual artifacts [Ibid.]. In our opinion, the settlements of Vengerovo-3 and Novoilinka III belong to the transition period from the Neolithic to the Bronze Age, in which the former represents an earlier stage, and the latter - a late or final one.

Based on animal bones from the settlement of Novoilinka III, a radiocarbon date of 4270 ± 170 BP (Le-7534) was obtained, which makes it possible to attribute the materials of the monument to the second half of the third millennium BC. For the Elunin antiquities, there is a series of radiocarbon dates that fit into the framework of the end of the third and first third of the second millennium BC [Kiryushin, Grushin, and Tishkin, 2003, p. 113; Kiryushin, Maloletko, and Tishkin, 2005, p.141]. Some of them (SOAN-3754 - 4205 ± 65 BP, SOAN-3756 - 4570 ± 75 BP) [Kiryushin, Grushin, and Tishkin, 2003, p.106; Kiryushin, Maloletko, and Tishkin, 2005, p. 138] are synchronous to the date for Novoilinka III or even earlier. In the near future, we plan to receive a series of dates based on the materials of this settlement. It may be possible to select samples for dating at other Kipri-type sites. It is possible that for some of them dates will be obtained that allow the complexes to be attributed to the Neolithic era, but, most likely, they will fit into the framework of the second half of the III millennium BC In general.-

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The Kiprin type rocks probably predate the Elunin ones, although some of the materials may be synchronous.

Ceramics from the settlement of Novoilinka III allow us to attribute the monument to the Kiprin type. It is possible that with the accumulation of materials, the question of identifying an independent Kiprin culture within the "comb-pit community of the early Metal age" will be raised [Molodin, 2001, pp. 38-39], although this is a debatable problem that requires discussion.

Conclusion

It should be noted that separate collections and lifting materials from the destroyed monuments of the Neolithic - early Bronze Age do not allow even in general terms to reconstruct the ethno-cultural processes on the territory of Kulunda in the Neolithic. Targeted work is needed in the region to identify Neolithic monuments. Apparently, we should pay attention to the observations of A.V. Kuibyshev, who noted:"...settlements were usually located along the banks of flowing lakes with a relatively constant water regime. Parking sites were found only on those lakes where, in addition to the river flowing into the lake, there was also a channel flowing into the lake - "kurya", i.e. in places convenient for shut-off fishing " [1976, p.53]. Apparently, given this circumstance, it is worth reviewing the algorithm for searching for Neolithic settlements in Kulunda.

List of literature

Gel'mel ' Yu. I. Novye materialy iz Kulundinskaya stepi [New materials from the Kulundinskaya steppe]. Barnaul: Publishing House of Barnaul State Pedagogical University. un-ta, 1995, issue 5, part 2, pp. 42-46.

Gel'mel ' Yu. I., Sitnikov S. M. Materials of the settlement of Novoilinka-1 and some problems of relative chronology of the Andronovo monuments of Altai.Aktual'nye voprosy istorii Sibiri [Actual issues of the history of Siberia]. Barnaul: Alt. State University Publ., 2000, pp. 60-65.

Seibert V. F. Eneolith of the Ural-Irtysh interfluve. Petropavlovsk: Nauka Rep. Kazakhstan, 1993. - 246 p.

Zakh V. A. Neolithic and Early metal epoch of the forest-steppe Prisalairya and Ob region. Tyumen: IPOS SB RAS Publ., 2003, 168 p. (in Russian)

Ivanov G. E. K voprosu ob absolutnoi i relativnoi khronologii pamyatnikov s valikovoy keramikami stepnogo Altay [On the question of absolute and relative chronology of monuments with roller ceramics of the Steppe Altai]. Barnaul: Alt. State University Publ., 1988, pp. 101-104.

Ivanov G. E. Nekotorye itogi izucheniya arkheologicheskikh pamyatnikov v zone altaiskikh lentnykh bolov [Some results of studying archaeological sites in the zone of Altai ribbon forests]. Barnaul: Alt. State University Publ., 1989, pp. 23-26.

Kambalov N. Nature and natural resources of the Altai Territory. - Barnaul: Alt. kn. izd-vo, 1952. - 171 p.

Kiryushin K. Yu., Kiryushin Yu.F. Kul'turno-khronologicheskie kompleksy poseleniya Tytkesken-2 (itogi raboty 1988-1994 gg.) [Cultural and chronological complexes of the Tytkesken - 2 settlement (results of works in 1988-1994)]. Barnaul: Alt. State University Publ., 2008, 335 p. (in Russian).

Kiryushin Yu. F. Eneolithic and Early Bronze Age in the south of Western Siberia. Barnaul: Alt. State University Publ., 2002, 293 p. (in Russian)

Kiryushin Yu. F. Eneolithic and Bronze Age of the Southern Taiga zone of Western Siberia. Barnaul: Alt. State University Publ., 2004, 294 p. (in Russian)

Kiryushin Yu. F., Volkov P. V., Kiryushin K. Yu., Semibratov V. P. On the criteria for separating Neolithic and Eneolithic monuments of Altai // Theory and practice of archaeological research. Barnaul: Alt. State University Publ., 2006, issue 2, pp. 15-24.

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The article was submitted to the Editorial Board on 16.04.10.

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