The HUGE 40,000-Year-Old Paleolithic Site of Kostenki | Ancient Architects

Like the incredible site of Mal’ta in Siberia, which was the subject of my last video, the Kostenki-Borshchevo archaeological complex in Russia is another incredible prehistoric site that deserves our attention. Situated on the western bank of the Don River in the Khokholsky District of Russia, the area consists of 26 Paleolithic sites, Kostenki 1 to 21 and Borshchevo 1-5 and finds go back more than 40,000 years ago. Pre-Pottery Neolithic Anatolia, including sites like Göbekli Tepe, is a difficult subject to understand by itself, and when presented without a Paleolithic backstory it seems almost miraculous. But this backstory is critical in our understanding of the development of human civilisations. That’s why I’ve been researching key Paleolithic sites, whose decendents could well have influenced the origins of the Pre-Pottery Neolithic and being situated around 1,000 miles to the north of Göbekli Tepe, in modern-day Russia, Kostenki is an important site of interest. It’s arguably the most incredible Paleolithic site in the world, with large mammoth houses, many intricately-carved Venus figurines, scores of decorative objects, stone and bone tools, human burials and more. There is evidence of occupation at Kostenki from before 40,000 years ago to around 20,000 years ago and the finds are truly breathtaking, especially because of their age. Watch this video to learn more! All images are taken from Google Images, form the incredible Don’s Maps website (linked below) and other sources linked below for educational purposes only. Special thanks to Vladimir Gorodnjanski who supplied many of the images to the Don’s Map website. Please subscribe to Ancient Architects, Like the video and please leave a comment below. Thank you. #AncientArchitects #Paleolithic #Kostenki Sources: Polyikonic Sculpture from the Upper Paleolithic Site of Kostenki I, E. E. Fradkin and Richard G. Klein, Arctic Anthropology, Vol. 7, No. 2 (1970), pp. 129-136 The Early Upper Palaeolithic of Kostenki: Chronology, Taxonomy, and Cultural Affiliation, A. A. Sinitsyn, (2010) pp. 27-48 Palaeolithic Art in the ., Abramova, Z. A. et al, Arctic Anthropology , 1967, Vol. 4, No. 2 (1967), pp. 1-179 Background Music: Ambiment - The Ambient by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. Source: Artist: Title Music: Ross Bugden, Olympus: