Abstract

The article presents the results of a joint Russian-Tajik geoarchaeological expedition in the middle reaches of the Obi-Mazar River (Republic of Tajikistan). During 2021 fieldwork two Tajikistan Loess Palaeolithic sites were studied: Kuldara (14 pedocomplexes) and Obi-Mazar (7 pedocomplexes). A significant amount of palaeogeographic work was carried out at both sites including sampling for a wide range of geological analyses. At Kuldara, five excavation trenches were established and a small amount of artifacts from pedocomplexes 4 and 5 as well as a few items from PC’s 10 and 11 were collected. Lakhuti IV corresponding to PC 5 was found between the known sites of Obi-Mazar-6 and Lakhuti I. The excavation area was 6 m2 and 2.2 m deep. Archaeological material (662 specimens) was deposited at 8 levels, but can be regarded a single industry. The primary reduction is based on several simple flaking techniques — radial flaking from a single surface, citron and parallel flaking. Some cores were prepared on large and thick spalls; the ventral surface was used as a prepared flaking surface. “Citron flakes” were also found (~ 8 % of the total number of flakes). Not a single blade was discovered. The complex contains roughly equal proportions of scrapers on large spalls, notched-denticulate tools and unifaces. According to the available set of geological data for the Obi-Mazar Valley, PC 5 is dated to ca. 0.5 Ma. The Lahuti IV materials have parallels in the synchronous Early Palaeolithic industries of Tajikistan. A distinctive feature of this site is a very high concentration of artifacts and their occurrence in well-defined cultural horizons, which is recorded for the first time at Loessic Palaeolithic sites.

Keywords

Tajikistan, Early Paleolithic, technocomplex, stratigraphy, loess, soil complex

Anoykin А.А.

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2383-2259

Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography SB RAS

Rybalko A.G.

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2214-821X

Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography SB RAS

Khudjageldiev T.U.

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1819-3715

Institute of History, Archaeology and Ethnography NAS RT

Sosin P.M.

Institute of Water Problems, Hydropower and Ecology NAS RT,Institute of Water Problems, Hydropower and Ecology NAS RT

Kurbanov R.N.

https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6727-6202

M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University
Institute of Geography RAS

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