New multistratified upper Paleolithic site Ushbulak-1 in Eastern Kazakhstan

In 2016, a field survey and uncovering works were carried out at the site of Ushbulak-1 (test pits 1-3). Test pit 1 (a trench), produced on the left bank of the creek, was a principal one. The exposed profile has revealed 7 lithological layers, 6 of them contained archaeological evidence. The test pits excavated on the left bank of the creek (test pits 1 and 3) have yielded a total of 681 specimens. Three major cultural and chronological assemblages can be tentatively recognized, dating back to stages as follows: Holocene (layer 1); Upper Paleolithic (layers 2-4) and the Initial Upper Paleolithic (layers 6, 7). Test pit 2 was produced on the right bank of the creek. The profile section resulted from excavation works reveals a different sequence composition of loose sediments. The artifacts recovered from this area should be dated to the late Upper Paleolithic. A general assessment of Ushbulak-1 makes it possible to draw a conclusion that it is a multistratified open-air site, with the earliest layers dating back to the Initial Upper Paleolithic.