The Karasai site: The first stratified Mesolithic assemblage in eastern Kazakhstan


Pavlenok G. Bocharova E. Gladyshev S. Ulianov V. Markovskiy G. Kharevich V. Taimagambetov Z. Anoikin
March 2021Elsevier Ltd

Archaeological Research in Asia
2021#25

In 2019, a joint Russian-Kazakh expedition discovered the first stratified Mesolithic locality in eastern Kazakhstan. Excavations at the Karasai site revealed a rich Early Holocene cultural layer (Layer 2). The lithic industry includes elements of all stages of lithic production. Cores include low-backed prismatic and narrow faced varieties and the tool assemblage is dominated by non-geometric microblade inset, fragmentary points, borers, micro-burins and microlithic scrapers. The Mesolithic age of the finds is confirmed by two AMS radiocarbon dates between 10,000–8,500 cal years BP. The Karasai industry most closely resembles lithic assemblages dating to the beginning of the Early Holocene in northern Kazakhstan.

Eastern Kazakhstan , Inset , Mesolithic , Pressure technique

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Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography, Siberian Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Akademika Lavrentieva Ave. 17, Novosibirsk, 630090, Russian Federation
National Museum of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Independence Ave. 54, Nur-Sultan, 010000, Kazakhstan

Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography
National Museum of the Republic of Kazakhstan

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