Abstract

The southeastern coast of the Caspian Sea was an important trade route that channeled ancient cultures between Middle East and Central Asia; two stratified terminal Pleistocene - early Holocene sites: Kuba-Sengir and Kaylu have been distinguished in this region as the key sites for reconstructions of the early human migrations. The complexes include representative lithic assemblages, faunal collection, and a unique set of shell beads. Two human burials were discovered at the entrance zone of the Kaylu cave. During the field works on the Krasnovodsk Peninsula in 2018, geomorphological position of these sites was established and the artifacts located on the surface were described. The preliminary data indicate that the Kuba-Sengir and Kaylu are asynchronous and share many common features with Southern, Western and Eastern Caspian sites.

Keywords

Eastern Caspian, Caspian transgression, Western Turkmenistan, Holocene, lithic industry, human burial

Shnaider S.V.

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2230-4286

Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography SB RAS
Altai State University

Kurbanov R.N.

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

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

Alisher kyzy S.

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3138-0942

Novosibirsk State University

Rigaud S.

University of Bordeaux, France

Shangina M.V.

M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University

Krivoshapkin A.I.

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5327-3438

Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography SB RAS
Novosibirsk State University

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