MOSCOW, June 19The accumulation of thousands of mammoth bones previously found in the Arctic zone of Yakutia arose thanks to people who in ancient times actively used the remains of these animals for their own needs — a team of scientists from several research centers of the Russian Federation came to this conclusion, the Russian Science Foundation (RSF) reported.
In the north of Yakutia, on the left bank of the Berelekh River, there is the Berelekh “mammoth cemetery” — a place where archaeologists previously discovered thousands of bones of these large extinct animals. Initially, it was believed that bones accumulated here naturally between 13 and 12 thousand years ago without any human intervention. Also, the researchers did not exclude the possibility of a natural simultaneous death of an entire group of mammoths. 
Traces of human activity have been found near the «mammoth cemetery» in different years — processed fragments of tusks, including those with an engraved image of a mammoth, a massive sharpened rod (spear) made of tusk, as well as a few stone tools and waste from their production. Based on these findings, scientists once suggested that the bones at the «mammoth cemetery» could have been brought by people who inhabited the banks of the Berelekh River in ancient times. However, there has been no confirmation of this so far.
Specialists from the Institute of the History of Material Culture of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute (both St. Petersburg) and the Geological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences (Moscow) examined the bones found in the “mammoth cemetery”, as well as archaeological materials collected during field work by various scientific groups from 1970 to 2009. In addition, the authors studied in detail the sediments of the river bank, to which archaeological and paleontological remains belong, and reconstructed the conditions and sequence of formation of the Berelekh geoarchaeological complex. The project was supported by a grant from the Russian Science Foundation.
Archaeologists have discovered unusually shaped stone points that may have been used as cutting tools or points. Such items are rare in the region and always accompany massive accumulations of mammoth bones. In addition to the mentioned artifacts, scientists found pendant jewelry, as well as fragments of mammoth ribs with traces of processing and waste from the production of tusk products. Using radiocarbon analysis, the researchers determined the direct age of these finds, which was used in the analysis of the general sample of dating from the Berelekh “mammoth cemetery”. 
It turned out that the massive accumulation of bone remains on the Bereleh River was formed in a very short time and occurred 14.4–13.5 thousand years ago, initially quite slowly, and then more intensively. In the reconstructed history of the accumulation of mammoth bone remains, peaks are noted that reflect accelerated accumulation — 14.4, 14 and 13.8 thousand years ago. These peaks correspond to dates obtained from the analysis of artifacts, and are therefore directly related to human activity.
Researchers believe that people actively used wool, tusks and fat of mammoths for their own needs. Some of the skeletal elements, among which the tusks were especially valuable, were placed in a certain place, which later became a «cemetery». Its choice was not accidental: based on reconstructions of the ancient relief, the «mammoth cemetery» was located in a swampy bend of a river or an oxbow lake — a part of the riverbed that turned into a small independent reservoir. Such a place was rich in microorganisms that facilitate the decomposition of connective tissue, which is why it was chosen to store the remains. This made it possible to extract whole tusks from the skulls without destroying their base, which was technologically necessary for further labor operations.
According to the authors of the study, the participation of people in the creation of the Berelekh «mammoth cemetery» can also be confirmed by the fact that other similar objects — in particular, the thoroughly studied mass accumulation of bones of these animals, which archaeologists discovered in the lower reaches of the Yana River (Yakutia) — were also formed during the period of active human activity in this territory. 
“For ancient people, the woolly mammoth served as an important source of various useful materials. For example, tusks were used to make tools, fat and meat served as food. Bones and skulls with tusks, as studies show, were placed in places where, thanks to the activity of microorganisms, they decompose well connective tissue, which was important for the procedure for extracting tusks and preparing bone remains for further use,” said project leader, leading researcher at the Institute of History of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the Center for Arctic Research of the Peter the Great Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography (Kunstkamera) of the Russian Academy of Sciences Vladimir Pitulko.
«The process of accumulation of mammoth bones near the Bereleh and Yana rivers is very similar. However, we cannot say that people lived in the corresponding territories throughout the formation of the “mammoth cemeteries.” They were regularly present here, most likely, either leaving or returning,» the specialist added.
In the future, scientists plan to continue research into the past of Arctic Eastern Siberia, including human settlement in this area, features of the evolution of its culture and adaptation to changing environmental conditions.