Studies of the terminal Pleistocene materials from the Ushbulak site in 2018

The article presents the results of the 2018 study of the upper portion of the soft sediments at the multilayered Ushbulak site (Eastern Kazakhstan). The works continued in the excavation area 1 totaling to 6m2; the trench was deepened for 1 m and the total depth reached 4 m. Two new stratigraphic layers (4 and 5) were established. The stratigraphic division from the previous campaign was revised: sublayers 3.4 and 3.5 were reattributed as the upper sublayer 4.1 of layer 4. Archaeological collection consists of282lithic artifacts and 90 fragmented faunal remains. Technical-typological analysis of materials, their stratigraphic position and the noted artificial stone pavement suggest attribution of this complex to the terminal Upper Paleolithic. The proposed chronological attribution is supported by the noted features of the artifacts and available parallels in the stratified Upper Paleolithic complexes of Southern Siberia.