The industry of Dodekatym-2 site (Uzbekistan): new data about the Upper Paleolithic of the region

As a result of the renewal of detailed studies of the classical cultures of Upper Paleolithic of Eurasia, the number of researchers assumed about the origin of basic Late Paleolithic cultural traditions (in particular, European Aurignacian) on the territory of the western part of Central Asia. The increased interest in the earliest history of Central Asian region gave stimulus for the renewal of comprehensive studies of Paleolithic epoch in the territory of Uzbekistan. In spite of scale archaeological studies of the second half of the 20-th century, the history of Upper Paleolithic epoch in the territory of Uzbekistan is represented fragmentarily, since a quantity of discovered sites, which relate to this period, until now, remains insignificant, moreover in the majority of the cases the discussion deals with statistically uncertain quantity from the objects with the exposed stone artifacts. As a result of the work of international archaeological expedition IAET SB RAS in the territory of Uzbekistan since 1998 it became possible to assert that even under the conditions of the increased aridization of climate in the finale of Upper Neopleistocene, the population of the foothill and middle upland regions of Uzbekistan did not completely cease. «Upper Paleolithic lacuna» of region began gradually to be filled up after the discovery of several new multilayered Upper Paleolithic sites in the territory of Tashkent oasis and renewal of a study of a number of known Paleolithic sites (Obi-Rakhmat rockshelter, Kul-Bulak, Kyzyl-Alma, and Kutur-Bulak sites) with using of complex of contemporary field archaeology (with the accent for the natural-science study and the determination of the absolute age of cultural deposits). In particular, discovery and study of the new site Dodekatym-2, to the preliminary results of studies of which is dedicated this article, makes it possible in a new way to look at the cultural parallels between the already known Paleolithic sites of region.