Fossil molluscan shells and polychaeta tubes from the Yudinovo and Eliseevichi Upper Paleolithic settlements of: taxonomy, possibilities of palaeogeographical and archaeological reconstructions

In the article we presents results of study mollusks and polychaetes remains collected during more than 80 years excavations Yudinovo Eliseevichi 1 Upper Paleolithic settlements (Dnieper region). The sites, located on right bank Sudost’ River 45 km from each other are two large with mammoth bone dwellings. sites belonging to different cultural traditions have been excavated over a area. analysis 238 fossil invertebrate samples revealed presence shells 33 genera calcareous tubes at least genus polychaete worms. Overall 26 taxa reliably determined species level. Among them representatives marine, brackish-water, freshwater terrestrial animals — mainly gastropods (20 species), less frequently bivalves (5 species) mollusks, one polychaetes. non local used by Yudinovos settlement inhabitants as decoration include Nucula, Cerastoderma, Steromphala, Tritia, Cerithium Melarhaphe. These were most likely brought northwestern coast Black Sea. material consists processed fragments polychaet’s tubes, originating Cretaceous deposits in Podeseniye region. shell set differs sharply consisting isolated Theodoxus fluviatilis, whose origin is difficult determine. They could be either nearby rivers contemporary this or they associated culturally temporally horizon layer settlement.