Detailed paleoenvironmental record for the Valday Cryochron (MIS 4–2) from the soil-sedimentary sequence of the Middle Palaeolithic site Khotylevo I

Khotylevo I, one of the largest Middle Paleolithic sites in Eastern Europe, is located in Bryansk Oblast’, 400 km southwest of Moscow, in the upper course of the Desna River. The site’s sections are presented by soil-sedimentary deposits of the last macro-cycle MIS 5-MIS 1 (OSL, AMS dating). Paleosols of varying degrees of preservation have matching pedofeatures and stratigraphic patterns throughout the area. In the bottom part of the sections, soils MIS 5 a-c contain a group of areas of different ages varying in the extent of preservation of cultural deposits, their cultural appurtenance and human habitation intensity. The MIS 3 soil presents as several levels of soil formation. One of the soils (soil IV, AMS date 34.1–32.7 14С kyr BP) has a full set of genetic horizons undisturbed by cryogenesis (similar paleosols are described in Germany and Austria), AO-E-Bw-Bk-BCk, the contemporary analogue of which is Yakutia’s Cambic Cryosol. The formation of these soils occurs in extracontinental semi-arid climate conditions on the territory of the middle taiga zone. In Khotylevo I sections the paleosol inherits the change in climate: from Cambic Cryosol to Gleysol. Owing to high deposition rates and the development of weak earthslide slope processes, a detailed paleosol chronicle reflecting short-term climatic fluctuations has survived in these soils’ profiles.

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