LAKE SETTLEMENTS OF THE UPPER VOLGA REGION IN THE 7—6th mil. CAL BC: ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND PALAEOECOLOGICAL CONTEXT OF THE FIRST POTTERY’ «INVASION» (ZAMOSTJE 2)

In the Middle Holocene, favorable living conditions were formed environmental on the territory of the modern Upper Volga River, which, after the retreat of the latest glacier, abounded with a branched system of feeders. They contributed to the economic stability driven by hunting for elk and beaver, waterfowl and marsh birds, as well as intensive fishing. In the recent decades, it was considered proven that ceramics were perceived by the native population, and the Early Neolithic, thus, was developed on a local basis. The new data accumulated in recent years makes it possible to bring up this topic again. Natural, economic and cultural changes during the period from the end of the 7th to the beginning of the 6th millennium cal BC are considered on the example of the well-known multi-layer wetland site Zamostje 2, with preserved wooden fishing structures and a large number of bone and antler artefacts. The period of sharp climatic changes, known as the 8200 Cold Event, synchronous with the upper Mesolithic layer, influenced the site landscape, but, as it seems, did not affect the lifestyle of the local population. The comparison between the two main archaeological layers of the lake settlement — the Late Mesolithic Upper layer (LM UL) and the Early Neolithic (EN), represented by the Upper Volga culture (UVc), shows both clear traces of continuity, primarily in the structure of the economy and production toolkits as well as new cultural influences reflected in the types of projectile hunting weapons and fishing gear. The function of the Early Neolithic pots, reconstructed on the basis of lipid analysis, also indicates the preservation of the comprehensive Mesolithic diet.