Transformation of plant cover on the territory of the Tytkesken’-2 settlement (Altai Mountains) from the fourth century BC to the present day according to paleobotanical data

Abstract

A phytolithic study was made on the territory of the archaeological site Tytkesken’-2 to reconstruct the stages of plant cover transformation. Phytoliths of grasses growing on the research site and the phytolithic composition of the soil profile containing the cultural horizons of the Neolithic, Eneolithic, Bronze, and Scythian ages were studied. The comparison of the modern plant phytoliths with the silica soil particles revealed information about the anthropogenic and climatic changes of plant cover on the site. Our important achievement is identification of the stage of maximum anthropogenic impact on the plant cover of the area during the Final Neolithic.