The Current Model of Historical and Cultural Processes in the Stone and Bronze Ages of the Ob-Irtysh Forest-Steppe

This article presents a current perspective on the historical and cultural development of the population in the forest -steppe zone of the Ob-Irtysh interfluve in the Stone and Bronze Ages, using various methods of the natural and exact sciences, as well as archaeological findings from adjacent parts of the Ob and Irtysh basins. A geographic description of the region is given. The history of excavations in the region is outlined beginning from the 19th century to the present. A considerable amount of new materials has been accumulated, providing the basis for historical and cultural reconstructions. The study spans the period from the Upper Paleolithic through to the Late Middle Ages and the recent centuries. The initial peopling of the Baraba forest-steppe occurred 18 thousand years ago. Cultures of the Early and Late Neolithic, Early, Middle and Late Bronze Ages, and the transition to the Early Iron Age are listed. All periods have a reliable timescale. The archaeological potential of the region provides a basis for further elaborations of this model.