Research of the Turgai expedition
The expedition of the Kostanay Pedagogical Institute excavated the sites Duzbay 3, 6, and Alkau 2.
The Duzbay 3 site is located at an altitude of 6 m on the left beret of the Atagay River (a tributary of the Ubagan), 3 km southwest of the village of Duzbay. 578 sq. m were unearthed on the monument. In the highest part of the excavation, the thickness of the cultural layer (gray sand) is insignificant (0.1-0.2 m), but towards the river, it increases to 2 m.
Planigraphically, the finds were unevenly distributed. In the highest part of the excavation, adjacent to the excavation of 1979, the vast majority of tools made of blades and fragments of Neolithic ceramics are concentrated. There are few flake tools here. The ceramic is thin-walled, with sand in the dough, ornamented mainly with a comb stamp. These are vessels of elongated proportions with a conical bottom. Similar pottery is known in the northern part of the Tagan trough (sites Makhandzhar, Solenoye Ozero 2, Duzbay 2), which is also associated with lamellar flint products. Many flake tools, including scrapers and arrowheads, were found in the excavation sites closer to the river. Most of the Eneolithic pottery was also found here, including the collapse of a vessel of the Afanasiev type, ornamented with impressions of a short and wide comb stamp and several round-pitted impressions under the rim.
The Duzbay 6 site is located on the right bank of the Atagay, on top of a sandy ridge, 1 km south of the farms in the Duzbay village (176 sq. m). The finds are confined to a layer of gray-yellow sand 4-80 cm thick. It is underlain by yellow sand. Among the tools, micro blades with retouched lateral faces predominate. Incisors and blades with retouched ends and four small fragments of Neolithic pottery were found.
Alkau 2 site is located on the right bank of the Tobol River, 1.8 km south of the Alkau village. On an area of 100 sq. m traced the following stratigraphy: at the top - a layer of black fishing line (15-40 cm); below it is a layer of dark gray sand (8-50 cm); below is yellow sand. Blade tools predominate in the flint collection. The ceramics are fragmented. Part of it has a Neolithic appearance, and part belongs to the Bronze Age.