Study of the final Upper Paleolithic evidence at the Ushbulak site in 2019

The article describes the results of ongoing research of the Final Upper Paleolithic at the multilayered Ushbulak site (East Kazakhstan) in 2019. In this field season, excavation pit 1 was expanded in northeastern direction down the edge of the Ushbulak Vostochnyi stream. Test pit 13 to the east of excavation pit 1 and new trench between excavation pits 1 and 2 were made. These works resulted in three new profiles. Archaeological and paleontological materials (including the bones of large mammals and rodents, as well as malacofauna) were present in all excavated strata. Lithological data shows similarities between the profiles of test pit 13 and excavation pit 1 with significantly larger thickness of layers in the test pit. New profile in excavation pit 1 and trench connecting excavation pits 1 and 2 revealed the decrease in the thickness of deposits down the slope, smaller number of artifacts in the uppermost cultural strata (cultural layers 1-3), and stabile numbers in cultural layers 4-5.1. The riches archaeological evidence was obtained from layer 5.1. Previous observations on the distribution of materials in the form of concentrations were also relevant for the complex of artifacts from layer 5.1. Collection of artifacts was enriched with distinctive forms of cores for bladelets and microblades. Analysis of these cores and debitage confirms the attribution of the evidence from layer 5.1 to the Final Upper Paleolithic.