Okladnikov Cave

Okladnikov Cave

Пещера Окладникова
Entrance to the cave
Location in Russia Show map of Continental Asia Okladnikov Cave (Altai Krai) Show map of Altai Krai Okladnikov Cave (Russia) Show map of Russia
Alternative name	Sibiryachikha
Location	Soloneshensky District, Altai Krai, Russia
Region	Anuy Basin, Altai-Sayan region
Coordinates	51°40′N 84°20′E / 51.667°N 84.333°E / 51.667; 84.333
Altitude	350 or 650 m (1,148 or 2,133 ft)[1][2]
Type	limestone cave
Length	35 metres (115 ft)
History
Founded	ca. 45,000 BP
Abandoned	ca. 38,000 BP
Periods	Paleolithic
Cultures	Mousterian
Associated with	Neanderthals
Site notes
Excavation dates	1984-1987

Okladnikov Cave (Russian: пещера Окладникова) is a paleoanthropological site located in the foothills of the Altai Mountains in Soloneshensky District, Altai Krai in southern Siberia, Russia. The cave faces south and is located on a Devonian karst escarpment, lying about 14 metres (46 ft) above the left bank of the Sibiryachikha River valley below; the river itself is a tributary of the Anuy River.^[2][3]

Okladnikov Cave is one of the most extensively studied Paleolithic sites in the Altai-Sayan region. A rich Mousterian stone industry, dating to between 33,000 and 44,000 years ago, was discovered, as well as several highly fragmented hominin fossils. Along with a few other Neanderthal sites in the Altai-Sayan region, Okladnikov Cave contains fossil evidence for the most easterly confirmed site with Neanderthal presence.