Chronology of the Upper Palaeolithic Sites of Byki (Centre of the East European Plain) According to 14C and OSL Dating

Series of 14C dates from cultural layers (CL) of Byki sites are in the range 1—5 thousand years. Simple statistical processing does not allow to narrow down the age estimates. To assess the reliability of 14C dates, we developed an approach based on the assessment of sedimentation dynamics using luminescence (OSL) dating and age determination of the main lithostratigraphic units. The OSL method was used to date the section of the multilayer site Byki-7 and to obtain approximate differences in the CLs age at different depths. An age-depth model satisfying the dynamics of sedimentation was constructed, and on its basis the age of the CLs and boundaries between litholostratigraphic units was determined. The dates for the remaining sites were verified with respect to the constructed model. As a result, three age groups of CLs were identified. The oldest (~22 cal ka BP) lie on the ancient alluvial surface under the aeolian sand unit. The second group (~21 cal ka BP) — CLs with winter dwelling objects of the Bykovskaya archaeological culture, buried in the aeolian sands. The third group (~18 cal ka BP) — CLs, embedded in loess-like cover loams. There is uncertainty in the age of CLs around the boundary of aeolian and cover deposits due to a possible hiatus, which is not reflected by the age model. Thus, different groups of people inhabited the Byki sites between 22 and 18 ka BP. The carriers of the Byki culture arrived around 21.5 ka BP and their settlement peaked at ~21 ka BP.