Kitoi Culture
Kitoi Culture refers to a Mongoloid Neolithic culture that existed prior to the second millennium B.C.E., primarily in the regions surrounding Lake Baikal in Siberia. This culture emerged after the Serovo culture and was succeeded by the Glazkovo culture. The Kitoi people inhabited the taiga and tundra landscapes, forming small, seminomadic communities characterized by partially subterranean houses. Evidence from graves in areas like the Angara, Selenga, and upper Lena River valleys reveals advanced tool-making skills compared to their predecessors, particularly with a notable focus on fishing, as indicated by the abundance of fishhooks found in burial sites.
While they did not practice farming, the Kitoi people domesticated dogs and developed various crafts, including pottery and stone polishing, as well as early forms of sculpture, such as human face carvings on stones. Additionally, they began to create nephrite and copper objects, showcasing their burgeoning artistic and technological capabilities. Overall, the Kitoi Culture represents a significant chapter in the prehistoric human experience in Siberia, highlighting adaptation and innovation in a challenging environment.
On this Page
Subject Terms
Kitoi Culture
Related civilizations: Mongolia, Russia.
Date: c. 3000-2900 b.c.e.
Locale: Central Asia, present-day Russia
Kitoi Culture
The Kitoi (KEE-toy) was a Mongoloid culture that was in existence before the second millennium b.c.e. This Neolithic culture followed the Serovo and preceded the Glazkovo cultures in the regions east and north of Lake Baikal. Members of this culture also lived in the taiga (coniferous forest) and tundra areas of Siberia.
Much of modern knowledge of the Kitoi culture comes from the material found in graves in areas around Lake Baikal as well as in the Angara, Selenga, and upper Lena River valleys. This grave material indicates that the members of the culture had more developed tools than did people in the Serovo culture. What is more, the large number of fishhooks found in the graves suggests that the Kitoi people engaged in fishing rather than hunting. They lived in small, seminomadic communities made up of houses that were partially subterranean. They did not engage in farming and their only domesticated animal was the dog. During this culture, sculptures of human faces on stones and stone rings began to appear. Nephrite (a type of jade) and copper objects were first fashioned during this cultural period. The members of the culture made pottery and engaged in stone polishing.
Bibliography
Murowchick, Robert, and Ariana Klepace, eds. China: Ancient Culture, Modern Land. Norman, Oklahoma: University of Oklahoma Press, 1995.
Sasson, Jack, ed. Civilizations of the Ancient Near East. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1995.