A Complex of Stratifi ed Upper Paleolithic Sites in the Foothills of the Northern Tien Shan: General Data and Research Perspectives
A Complex of Stratified Upper Paleolithic Sites in the Foothills of the Northern Tien Shan: General Data and Research Perspectives
doi:10.17746/1563-0110.2023.51.3.067-074
D.V. Ozherelyev1 and T.B. Mamirov2 1Institute of Archaeology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Ulyanova 19, Moscow, 117292, Russia 2Margulan Institute of Archaeology, Pr. Dostyk 44, Almaty, A25D9KO, Kazakhstan
This article examines the key cultural trends and events in the evolution of the Upper Paleolithic in the foothills of the Northern Tien Shan (Zailisky Alatau, Kazakhstan). It outlines the history of Paleolithic studies in southeastern Kazakhstan. We describe the geographic characteristics of the region, the geomorphological positions of sites, and features of sedimentation that influenced the preservation of cultural remains in situ. Archaeological materials from key Upper Paleolithic sites are reviewed, including those from stratified sites—Maibulak, Rakhat, and Uzynagash-1, -2. Lithic industries and absolute dates suggest that Maibulak was permanently inhabited during the Early, Middle, and probably Late Upper Paleolithic, materials from the early stages being the most expressive. Early Upper Paleolithic industries display Aurignacian-like characteristics and are paralleled by certain Western Eurasian industries of the same age. The multicomponent site of Rakhat was peopled during the end of the Early Upper Paleolithic, in the Middle Upper Paleolithic, and at the beginning of the Late Upper Paleolithic, documenting the evolution of Upper Paleolithic cultures during the ~30-23 cal ka BP interval. The industries of Rakhat include an Aurignacian-like one, a Middle Upper Paleolithic complex with micro-Gravette-like points, and one with geometric artifacts shaped as scalene triangles. For the first time, results of excavations and prospects of future studies at the new sites Uzynagash-1 and -2, dating to the late Early Upper Paleolithic, are outlined. We conclude that Upper Paleolithic cultures (or industries) of the foothills of the Northern Tien Shan are original, while following a single vector with the Upper Paleolithic of Western Eurasia.
Keywords: Northern Tien Shan, Upper Paleolithic, Maibulak, Rakhat, Uzynagash, loess, lithic industry
