The Excavation Story

The practical story of how the Mal’ta site was discovered and excavated is itself worth telling, because it illuminates how the evidence came to light.

Mikhail Gerasimov began his work at Mal’ta as a young man in 1927.

He was born in 1907 and began archaeological training in his teens, displaying the combination of artistic talent and scientific discipline that would define his career.

The Mal’ta excavations were among his earliest major field experiences, and the richness of what the site produced shaped his understanding of what Upper Paleolithic cultures could look like.