The Limits of Resilience: Upper Palaeolithic Humans in the Arctic and the Mongolian Steppe

Robin Dennell* and Linda Hurcombe

Archaeology provides a unique perspective on the adaptability and resilience of our ancestors in different environments, situations, or stages in their evolution. It also offers unique insights into the limits of their resilience by identifying situations or environments that were beyond their capabilities, and where the risks of settlement outweighed its benefits. Here, we contrast two environments that were used by early populations of Homo sapiens in Northeast Asia: the Arctic, and the Mongolian steppe grasslands. We suggest that humans could cope with year-round life in the Arctic, but not in Mongolia, where the steppe was likely a seasonal resource used only in the summer. The reasons why humans could adapt to winters in the Arctic but not Mongolia are complex but centre on the lack of fuel, furs, fat and adequate insulation. Indeed, year-round occupation of the Mongolian steppe was likely impossible before the domestication of sheep that provided dung for fuel and wool for felt that could be used for insulating gers/yurts and making floor covering, blankets and warm, wind-proof clothing.