Prehistoric Mongolian Archaeology in the Early 21st Century: Developments in the Steppe and Beyond

Abstract There has been a great increase in archaeological research Mongolia since 2000. Increasingly precise chronologies, regional studies, and the growth of development-driven archaeology are transforming our knowledge this key region northeastern Asia. This review summarizes recent work provides narrative prehistoric medieval cultural sequences as presently understood. I focus on long-standing topics: early human habitation, adoption food-producing economies, Bronze Age social transformations, emergence central places large polities. argue that, one hand, unique data new examples to offer community and, other, that prehistory steppe not so different from rest world its history questions. general overviews covering Upper Paleolithic, Epipaleolithic or Neolithic, Xiongnu period; specific related each period provide jumping-off points for comparative analysis further examination.