nscArchaeology, Ethnology & Anthropology of EurasiaАрхеология, этнография и антропология Евразии1563-0110IAET SB RAS10.17746/1563-0110.2024.52.3.030-039nsc-1962Research ArticlePALEOENVIRONMENT. THE STONE AGEПАЛЕОЭКОЛОГИЯ. КАМЕННЫЙ ВЕКSmall Blade and Bladelet Production in Central Asia at the Turn of MIS 7 and 6: Cores from Kulbulak Layer 23https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3727-776XPavlenokG. D.

Pavlenok G.D. - Senior Researcher

 pr. Akademika Lavrentieva 17, Novosibirsk, 630090 

lukianovagalina@yandex.ruhttps://orcid.org/0000-0003-4232-9587KogaiS. A.

Kogai S.A. - Researcher

pr. Akademika Lavrentieva 17, Novosibirsk, 630090 

kogai@irkutsk.ruhttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-5405-0041MukhtarovG. A.

Mukhtarov G.A. - Junior Researcher, National Center of Archaeology

 pr. Mirzo Ulugbeka 81, Tashkent, 100170

gayratxon75@mail.ruhttps://orcid.org/0000-0003-0205-2077PavlenokK. K.

Pavlenok K.K. - Senior Researcher

 pr. Akademika Lavrentieva 17, Novosibirsk, 630090

pr. Mirzo Ulugbeka 81, Tashkent, 100170

pavlenok-k@yandex.ruInstitute of Archaeology and Ethnography, Siberian Branch, Russian Academy of SciencesRussian FederationAcademy of Sciences of the Republic of UzbekistanUzbekistanInstitute of Archaeology and Ethnography, Siberian Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences; National Center of Archaeology, Academy of Sciences of the Republic of UzbekistanRussian Federation2024071020245233039Copyright © Pavlenok G.D., Kogai S.A., Mukhtarov G.A., Pavlenok K.K., 20242024Pavlenok G.D., Kogai S.A., Mukhtarov G.A., Pavlenok K.K.Pavlenok G.D., Kogai S.A., Mukhtarov G.A., Pavlenok K.K.Данная работа распространяется под лицензией Creative Commons Attribution 4.0.This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.https://journal.archaeology.nsc.ru/jour/article/view/1962

We describe 27 parallel, narrow-faced, and burin-cores for small blades and bladelets from Kulbulak layer 23, Western Tien Shan, excavated in 2016 and 2017. In terms of typology, flat-faced (longitudinal and transverse), prismatic (carinated, subconical, and subcylindrical), and narrow-faced cores (including burin[1]cores) were identified. Scar pattern analysis suggests that regardless of the typological affiliation of cores, a uniform technological scheme was used—staggered sequence of blanks. This Middle Paleolithic non-prismatic pattern probably indicates the initial steps in the formation of a technology that would subsequently influence the Middle Paleolithic blade industries in western Central Asia and become one of the sources for the regional Upper Paleolithic in the second half of MIS 3. It is concluded that small blade technology emerged within Middle Paleolithic industries of western Central Asia at the turn of MIS 7 and 6. In the Obi-Rakhmat industry (MIS 5a), this technology is represented in its fully developed form.

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The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest present.