YAKUTSK, February 27. /TASS/. A group of scientists plans new expeditions to discovered ancient human sites on the Bear Islands Archipelago in Yakutia's north, Viktor Dyakonov, a leading researcher at Yakutia's Arctic Research Center and the Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography (the Russian Academy of Sciences' Siberian Branch), told TASS.
The Bear Islands are six islands in the East Siberian Sea. They are part of Yakutia. The islands are north of the Kolyma River mouth.
"In 2024, for the first time, we fully explored they Krestovsky Island, the largest island of the Bear Islands Archipelago. No archaeologists have studied it before us. Back in the 18th century, surveyors and cartographers mentioned there were traces of people, including collapsed yurts of "unknown people". Getting to the location is difficult and risky due to strong winds," the scientist said.
Archaeologists explored the island coast off a motorboat, every day they walked 20-25 km, and compiled the island's archaeological map.
Arctic archaeology
"The island is rocky, with huge, powerful stone runs (limited clusters of sharp-angled stone blocks - TASS). The archipelago's highest point is the Shapka Mountain - 273 m. We have identified promising bays with earthen yedoma terraces (carbon-rich permafrost of the Pleistocene epoch - TASS), with visible people's activities. We've found artifacts at three locations. We will use the radiocarbon method to determine the exact age. We also plan for this year an expedition to Bear Islands, however this time to other islands, as they all need to be explored," the archaeologist said.
Scientist may require several seasons to explore all the islands, he continued. "Excavation seasons in the Arctic are short. Work is possible only for one month, since it may snow there in July. Another problem is polar bears, as they have birthing dens on the islands. Last year, we were meeting them almost every day, including bear moms with cubs," he added.
Finds on the Chetyrehstolbovoy Island
Archaeological work on the archipelago was carried out only on the Chetyrehstolbovoy Island. In the 1940s - 1950s, specialists of the Northern Sea Route's Hydrographic Department and of a polar station on the island worked there. Collected materials were given to the State Historical Museum in Moscow and the Hermitage in Leningrad. Scientists identified the presence of Birnirk Culture (the 9 - 11 centuries) and later cultures of Asian Eskimos on the island. In 1995, the Lena archaeological expedition led by Yury Mochanov conducted small excavations at the medieval Eskimo settlement on the Chetyrekhstolbovoy Island.