Prospects and problems of research at the lower reaches of the Latat and Yaya rivers according to the results of archaeological surveys in 2018-2019

The lower reaches of the Yaya River is a boundary between the districts of Tomsk and Kemerovo Regions, forest-steppe and taiga landscapes, as well as the valley of the Chulym River and the Kuznetsk Alatau. Archaeological studies in this area have long and rich history, but were fragmentary and unsystematic. This article focuses on the area at the confluence of the left tributary, the Latat River, into the Yaya River for elucidating historical and cultural development of this territory. This study was aimed at evaluating the need for subsequent survey activities in the area and identifying possible difficulties in field research. Diverse cultural situation in the area in different historical periods is illustrated by new evidence obtained in the course of field research. Stratigraphic observations have made it possible to establish the context of the discovered evidence. This work resulted in identifying several perspective directions for scholarly research in the area. Specific features of surface finds suggest chronologically and culturally different archaeological sites for future research. Some problems of research of both attributive and interpretative nature have been formulated.