Ushbulak — A New Stratified Upper Paleolithic Site in Northeastern Kazakhstan

Анойкин, А.А.; Павленок, Г. Д.; Харевич, В. М.; Таймагамбетов, Жакен; Шалагина, А.В.; Gladyshev, S.A.; Ulianov, V.A.; Duvanbekov, R. S.; Shunkov, M.V.

doi:10.17746/1563-0102.2019.47.4.016-029

Cited by 8 publications

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“…Caves with the potential for Pleistocene sediments were inferred only from a couple of sites, and future excavation and dating are required to resolve the sedimentary record of these caves. To date, only two Palaeolithic cave sites are known from Kazakhstan, even though the number of Palaeolithic open‐air sites is gradually increasing (Anoikin et al, 2019; Ozherelyev et al, 2019). However, the low frequency of Palaeolithic cave sites is a general characteristic of the caves found in the semi‐arid regions of Central Asia and contrasts with the high clustering of Palaeolithic cave sites found in the more humid northern fringes of the Altai.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The effect of formation processes on the frequency of palaeolithic cave sites in semiarid zones: Insights from Kazakhstan

et al. 2022

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Central Asian caves with Palaeolithic deposits are few, but they provide a rich record of human fossils and cultural assemblages that has been used to model Late Pleistocene hominin dispersals. However, previous research has not yet systematically evaluated the formation processes that influence the frequency of Palaeolithic cave sites in the region. To address this deficiency, we combined field survey and micromorphological analyses in the piedmont zone of south Kazakhstan. Here, we present our preliminary results focusing on selected sites of the Qaratau mountains.Sediment cover varies among the surveyed caves, and loess-like sediments dominate the cave sequences. The preservation of cave deposits is influenced by reworking of cave sediments within the caves but also by the broader erosional processes that shape semiarid landscapes. Ultimately, deposits of potentially Pleistocene age are scarce. Our study provides new data in the geoarchaeologically neglected region of Central Asia and demonstrates that micromorphology has great analytical potential even within the limitations of rigorous survey projects. We outline some of the processes that influence the formation and preservation of cave deposits in Kazakhstan, as well as broader implications for the distribution of Palaeolithic cave sites in Central Asia and other semiarid environments.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The effect of formation processes on the frequency of palaeolithic cave sites in semiarid zones: Insights from Kazakhstan

et al. 2022

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“…Caves with the potential for Pleistocene sediments were inferred only from a couple of sites, and future excavation and dating are required to resolve the sedimentary record of these caves. Until now, only two Palaeolithic cave sites are known from Kazakhstan, even though the number of Palaeolithic open-air sites is gradually increasing (Anoikin et al, 2019;Ozherelyev, Dzhasybaev, & Mamirov, 2019). However, the low frequency of Palaeolithic cave sites is a general characteristic of the caves found in the semi-arid regions of Central Asia and contrasts with the high clustering of Palaeolithic cave sites found in the more humid northern fringes of the Altai.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Effect of Formation Processes on The Frequency of Palaeolithic Cave Sites in Semi-Arid Zones: Insights From Kazakhstan

Varis¹,

Miller²,

Cuthbertson³

et al. 2021

Preprint

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Central Asian caves with Palaeolithic deposits are few but they provide a rich record of human fossils and cultural assemblages that has been used to model Late Pleistocene hominin dispersals. However, previous research has not yet systematically evaluated the formation processes that influence the frequency of Palaeolithic cave sites in the region. To address this deficiency, we combined field survey and micromorphological analyses in the piedmont zone of south Kazakhstan. Here we present our preliminary results focusing on selected sites of the Qaratau mountains. Sediment cover varies among the surveyed caves and loess-like sediments dominate the cave sequences. The preservation of cave deposits is influenced by reworking of cave sediments within the caves but also by the broader erosional processes that shape semi-arid landscapes. Ultimately, deposits of potentially Pleistocene age are scarce. Our study provides new data in the geoarchaeologically neglected region of Central Asia and demonstrates that micromorphology has great analytical potential even within the limitations of rigorous survey projects. We outline some of the processes that influence the formation and preservation of cave deposits inKazakhstan, as well as broader implications for the distribution of Palaeolithic cave sites in Central Asia and other semi-arid environments.

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“…Our work concentrates on identifying and characterizing lithic raw materials from the Upper Palaeolithic sites of Ushbulaq, Maibulaq, Rahat, Buirekbastaubulaq, and Valikhanova, as well as the Lower Palaeolithic Qoshqorgan-Shoqtas site complex (Figure 1). The stratigraphic setting and archaeology of the sites are well-documented and described (see Alpysbaev 1979;Taimagambetov 1990Taimagambetov , 2009Derevianko 2006;Fitzsimmons et al 2017;Shunkov et al 2017;Anoikin et al 2019;Ozherelyev, Dzhasybaev, and Mamirov 2019;Kunitake and Taimagambetov 2021). Below, we provide a brief background to each site studied, organized by region.…”

Section: Archaeological Setting Of the Inner Asian Mountain Corridor ...mentioning

confidence: 97%

“…(AA-111921) and 45,249-44,012 CAL B.P. (NSKA-01811) (Anoikin et al 2019). Based on the presence of characteristic features of double-platform blade cores and blades exceeding 20 cm, the authors associate the lower horizons with the Initial Upper Palaeolithic (Shunkov et al 2017;Anoikin et al 2019).…”

Section: The Tarbagatai Sitesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The first preliminary field observations show that hominins predominantly exploited local raw materials, and due to the diverse formation history of the mountain ranges within the IAMC, raw materials of the lithic assemblages differed depending on the geographic location of the sites (Namen et al 2022b). Despite the utilization of predominantly locally available raw materials in the form of pebbles or from outcrops at most of the sites, the use of exogenous types of raw materials was previously described at the Upper Palaeolithic sites of Maibulaq, Rahat, and Ushbulaq (Taimagambetov 2009;Fitzsimmons et al 2017;Anoikin et al 2019;Ozherelyev, Dzhasybaev, and Mamirov 2019). Chert and microcrystalline varieties of metasedimentary pelitic rocks (e.g., shale, claystone, siltstone, etc.)…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Preference for Porphyry: Petrographic Insights into Lithic Raw Material Procurement from Palaeolithic Kazakhstan

Namen

Schmidt

Varis

et al. 2022

Journal of Field Archaeology

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Only a handful of stratified sites are known in loess, spring, and river contexts in the northern piedmonts of the Tian Shan, and the majority are dated to the Upper Palaeolithic. These sites have been studied from a geoarchaeological perspective, however, lithic procurement activities remain unknown. To address this deficiency, we present the results of the extensive field surveys aimed at locating prehistoric raw material sources in the Inner Asian Mountain Corridor of Kazakhstan. We also provide a detailed petrographic description of the lithologies exploited during the Palaeolithic of Kazakhstan. Based on the field survey results, combined with petrographic data, we conclude that the direct procurement strategy was the most common at the stratified sites. However, evidence of both direct and embedded procurement is found in the northern piedmonts of the Ili Alatau range at the site of Maibulaq.Additionally, we highlight the variation of chert lithologies within the larger Qaratau region, laying a foundation for future provenance studies.

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Ushbulak — A New Stratified Upper Paleolithic Site in Northeastern Kazakhstan

Cited by 8 publications

References 0 publications

The effect of formation processes on the frequency of palaeolithic cave sites in semiarid zones: Insights from Kazakhstan

The effect of formation processes on the frequency of palaeolithic cave sites in semiarid zones: Insights from Kazakhstan

The Effect of Formation Processes on The Frequency of Palaeolithic Cave Sites in Semi-Arid Zones: Insights From Kazakhstan

Preference for Porphyry: Petrographic Insights into Lithic Raw Material Procurement from Palaeolithic Kazakhstan

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