Research in the Tselinograd region

The Tselinograd expedition began excavations of the Neolithic site Zhanbobek on the northeastern spurs of the Ulutau mountains (unearthed 76 sq). The cultural layer (grayish-brown ash loam) 30–50 cm thick rests on greenish-brown clay and is overlain by dark gray sandy loam (10–45 cm). A dwelling lens up to 50 cm thick is clearly recorded in the excavation profile. In the plan, it is marked by a significant accumulation of stones. A part of a large above-ground dwelling, apparently rectangular, was unearthed. The collection consists of numerous flint items (about 10,000): cores, blades and flakes, scrapers, blades with a blunt edge, side and corner incisors, piercings, short trapezoids, double-sided processed arrowheads and darts. More than 100 fragments of pottery and two polished bone items were found.

At the Neolithic Aydagarly site in the upper reaches of the Zhaksy-Kon River and the Kara-Tyube 2 site in the upper reaches of the Atasu River, pits were laid, which made it possible to clarify the stratigraphy. Exploration discovered five new Paleolithic sites (Zhanbobek 5, Ak-kushkar 6, Saryozen 1, 5, Chilik-kuduk) and six Meso-Neolithic sites (Saryozen 2-4, 6, Aydagarly b, 7). The Lower Paleolithic locality Ak-kushkar 6 is of interest. In the flint inventory of which, along with tools of the chopper-chopping type, there are coarse bifaces, pointed points, and scrapers flakes (147 items in total). The Neolithic sites of Saryozen 2, 3 contain short trapezoids, blades, scrapers similar to the material of the Zhanbobek 4 site arrows.

A similar set of artifacts is also characteristic of several other sites in the northeastern spurs of the Ulutau Mountains. They are united by the preferred use of flakes and pieces; the tradition of cutting blanks; retouching is of great importance, which sometimes forms working elements even on inexpressive pieces and scales; a set of predominantly serrated-notched tools and a subordinate position of morphologically consistent items, which are generally very rare; a single presence of double-sided processed arrowheads and darts. This peculiar cultural stratum probably belongs to a fairly early Holocene, as evidenced by such collections of specially prepared cores of Paleolithic types, rough bifaces, Mousteroid pointed points and side-scrapers.