Ushbulak—A New Stratified Upper Paleolithic Site in Northeastern Kazakhstan

Bibliographic Data

ID6037504
AuthorsA А Anoikin (0000-0003-2383-2259, Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography, corresponding author), G Pavlenok (0000-0003-3727-776X, Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography), Vladimir Kharevich (0000-0003-2632-6888, Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography), Zhaken Taimagambetov (0000-0003-3541-0600), Aliona Kharevich (0000-0002-2267-2452, Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography), Y N Garkusha (0000-0002-0935-0213), Gladyshev, S Gladyshev (Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography), V A Ulyanov (0000-0002-7798-0399, Lomonosov Moscow State University), R S Duvanbekov (0000-0002-7596-8222), Mikhail V Shunkov (0000-0003-1388-2308, Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography)
Year2020
Volume47
Issue4
Pages16-29
Publication date2020-01-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueArchaeology Ethnology and Anthropology of Eurasia (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1563-0110 • E-ISSN: 1531-832X
PublisherInstitute of Archaeology and Ethnography SB RAS (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.17746/1563-0110.2019.47.4.016-029
OpenAlexW2995362871
LanguageEN
Citations received13
References cited6

We present the findings of excavations at the stratified site of Ushbulak, discovered during a joint Russian-Kazakhstan research project in 20I6. The site is located in the Shilikty Valley, northeastern Kazakhstan, at the junction of routes connecting southwestern Central Asia, southern Siberia, and northern China. On the basis of stratigraphy, chronology, and technological evidence, we identify three technological complexes, relating to the Metal Ages (stratum I), Final Upper Paleolithic (strata 2-4), and Initial Upper Paleolithic (strata 5.2-7). Focusing on the principal markers of the Initial Upper Paleolithic in the region, we conclude that finds from strata 5.2-7 belong to the southern Siberian-Mongolian variant of the Initial Upper Paleolithic, as evidenced by the uni- and bidirectional parallel volumetric blade core reduction, tool types, and absolute chronology. The tool kit includes mostly endscrapers, heavily retouched blades, and truncated-facetted or notched implements. Particularly diagnostic types include waisted blade, blade with a ventrally retouched distal edge, beveled point, backed blade, stemmed implement with a sharp tip, stemmed endscraper, and burin-core. Two AMS-dates from stratum 6 date this layer to ca 36,I80 ± 730 and 4I,II0 ± 302 BP. The closest known parallels to the industry of the lower strata of Ushbulak are finds from horizon UP2 of Kara-Bom in the Russian Altai. Our results suggest that Ushbulak strata 5.2-7 correlate with the Initial Upper Paleolithic industries of the Altai (Denisova Cave), northern China (Luotoshi), and Mongolia (Tolbor-4 and -2I

Archaeology · Blade (archaeology · Chronology · Geography · Middle Paleolithic · Pleistocene · Stratum · Upper Paleolithic · Archaeology and ancient environmental studies · Evolution and Paleontology Studies · Pleistocene-Era Hominins and Archaeology · Geology · Paleontology

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