The origin of the easternmost Neanderthals: comparative studies of the Sibiryachikha industry from the Russian Altai

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Recent advances in genetic analysis of fossil DNA led to novel hypothesis about the taxonomic relations among different Neanderthal populations as well as between Neanderthals, modern humans and the recently discovered “Denisovans”. A core region to study these relations from an archaeological perspective is the Russian Altai, where recently the fossils of the easternmost Neanderthals were found together with a lithic industry hitherto unknown from that region. The project aims at solving the question about the origin of the Altai Neanderthals by using archaeological data and comparing these to existing hypothesis deduced from paleogenetic research. This challenging approach is made possible by the rich archaeological record from the Russian Altai, which is analyzed for its lithic artifact component on a regional scale and then compared to similar industries on a supra-regional scale. To do so, standard up-to date methods are combined with novel approaches in the investigating of bifacial tools such 3D geometric morphometrics and spatial analysis using Geographic Information Systems (GIS). Large scale comparisons, conducted with multivariate statistics and using data from the Altai, the neighboring Eastern Eurasian regions, the Near East as well as Central and Eastern Europe will, in interplay with GIS analysis, make possible to determine the ancestral homeland of the Altai Neanderthal and to reconstruct potential migratory routes.