Problems of Studying “Eccentric Stone”: Experience Working with Collections in the South of the Far East

Abstract

This study examines a collection of stone retouched sculptures from the archaeological cultures of the Sea of Japan basin from the Final Paleolithic (17 000 BP) to the Late Neolithic (2 500 BP). Special attention is paid to the problems of distinguishing this type of artifacts into the category of primitive art, related both to the specifics of the material itself and the existing stereotypes in scientific practice. The methodological principles that make it possible to work with the controversial category of art are considered in detail, including theoretical developments of practical iconics (D.A. Sevostyanov), theories of the history of things (G.Kubler) and primitive syncretism (V.R.Kabo). For the most objective assessment of the “figured stones” and the subsequent interpretation of the products, an up-to-date list of criteria has been developed within the framework of this study, and tested on the materials of the stone sculpture collection of the Sea of Japan basin. The analysis of the reviewed collection, which includes more than 64 items, allowed us to identify three groups of artifacts, according to the number of parameters corresponding to the criteria: sculptures, conventional images, and unlikely candidates.

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