Mescherin M.N.

Key words: Upper Paleolithic, evolution of the stone inventory, periodization of the chronology of Paleolithic studies in the Trans-Baikal region.
The history of Paleolithic studies in the Trans-Baikal region is covered in the fundamental works by G.P. Sosnovsky, A.P. Okladnikov, S.M. Tseitlin, and Z.A. Abramova. Many of the regional discoveries are connected with the names of A.P. Okladnikov, I.I. Kirillov and M.V. Konstantinov, who researched the fundamental issues of the Upper Paleolithic in the region. The first integrated periodization of the Paleolithic in the region appeared in the late 1960-s, and was based on typological analysis of the stone inventory. The uniform Paleolithic culture was shown to have had three stages of development (Okladnikov, Kirillov). The hypothesis of non-unilinear evolution of the Paleolithic in the region was being actively developed by the 1980-s. A series of archeological cultures were identified within the major sites (Konstantinov). The latest stage of research, starting from the 1990-s, has been characterized by active use of natural science data, new investigations of existing sites and the search for new ones (Konstantinov, Lbova, Tashak, et al.).
The resulting data helped rectify the chronology and contributed to reconstruction of the paleoenvironment. However, at the current stage it is not yet possible to arrive at an unequivocal opinion concerning the periodization of the Upper Paleolithic in the Trans-Baikal region.