The effect of formation processes on the frequency of palaeolithic cave sites in semiarid zones: Insights from Kazakhstan

Central Asian caves with Palaeolithic deposits are few, but they provide a rich record of human fossils and cultural assemblages that has been used to model Late Pleistocene hominin dispersals. However, previous research has not yet systematically evaluated the formation processes that influence the frequency of Palaeolithic cave sites in the region. To address this deficiency, we combined field survey and micromorphological analyses in the piedmont zone of south Kazakhstan. Here, we present our preliminary results focusing on selected sites of the Qaratau mountains. Sediment cover varies among the surveyed caves, and loess-like sediments dominate the cave sequences. The preservation of cave deposits is influenced by reworking of cave sediments within the caves but also by the broader erosional processes that shape semiarid landscapes. Ultimately, deposits of potentially Pleistocene age are scarce. Our study provides new data in the geoarchaeologically neglected region of Central Asia and demonstrates that micromorphology has great analytical potential even within the limitations of rigorous survey projects. We outline some of the processes that influence the formation and preservation of cave deposits in Kazakhstan, as well as broader implications for the distribution of Palaeolithic cave sites in Central Asia and other semiarid environments.publishedVersio

Raw material choices in the palaeolithic of the Inner Asian Mountain Corridor of Kazakhstan

Reconstructing hominin raw material utilization patterns comprises one of the fundamental objectives of prehistoric archaeology. Lithic raw materials have been widely used as markers of hominin behaviour and subsequently used to study procurement strategies, mobility, and even cognitive developments. On this basis, my PhD project adopted a multi-disciplinary approach to the analysis of lithic raw materials and their potential relationship with habitual activities of hominins. In Paper I, the first geoarchaeological field survey to study the lithic raw material distribution within the Inner Asian Mountain Corridor of Kazakhstan was conducted. Geological specimens of various lithologies were macroscopically compared to the archaeological lithic assemblages. The results revealed that raw material utilization varied between study regions, which are separated by almost 1000 km. In the framework of an ongoing multi-disciplinary project, I analyzed the collected samples from geological and archaeological contexts by the application of engineering tests to address questions surrounding the lithic raw material quality (Paper II). The selected samples of chert, shale, and porphyry from three different regions of Kazakhstan were studied by means of objective tests. This is done to study one aspect of their mechanical properties, the fracture resistance, a value that is closely related to fracture toughness. The results suggest that materials previously considered of lower quality (e.g., porphyry) have mechanical properties that can be compared to chert. Ultimately, I discussed the effect of mechanical properties of porphyry in regard to the lithic technology illustrating its suitability for the production of sophisticated tools. Paper III provides the first petrographic characterization of various raw materials utilized in the Palaeolithic complexes of Kazakhstan and discusses the raw material procurement strategies based on field survey results and a comprehensive literature review. The petrographic analysis revealed structural variation within various chert samples collected in the Qaratau region and lays a foundation for future provenance studies of these materials. In addition, the field survey results suggest direct selective procurement strategies at Maibulaq. Overall, the current PhD dissertation has attempted to reconstruct the technological choices and procurement strategies of hominins groups based on multi-disciplinary methodological approaches published in three separate papers

The effect of formation processes on the frequency of palaeolithic cave sites in semiarid zones: Insights from Kazakhstan

Central Asian caves with Palaeolithic deposits are few, but they provide a rich record of human fossils and cultural assemblages that has been used to model Late Pleistocene hominin dispersals. However, previous research has not yet systematically evaluated the formation processes that influence the frequency of Palaeolithic cave sites in the region. To address this deficiency, we combined field survey and micromorphological analyses in the piedmont zone of south Kazakhstan. Here, we present our preliminary results focusing on selected sites of the Qaratau mountains. Sediment cover varies among the surveyed caves, and loess‐like sediments dominate the cave sequences. The preservation of cave deposits is influenced by reworking of cave sediments within the caves but also by the broader erosional processes that shape semiarid landscapes. Ultimately, deposits of potentially Pleistocene age are scarce. Our study provides new data in the geoarchaeologically neglected region of Central Asia and demonstrates that micromorphology has great analytical potential even within the limitations of rigorous survey projects. We outline some of the processes that influence the formation and preservation of cave deposits in Kazakhstan, as well as broader implications for the distribution of Palaeolithic cave sites in Central Asia and other semiarid environments.H2020 European Research Council http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/10001066

The effect of formation processes on the frequency of palaeolithic cave sites in semiarid zones: Insights from Kazakhstan

Central Asian caves with Palaeolithic deposits are few, but they provide a rich record of human fossils and cultural assemblages that has been used to model Late Pleistocene hominin dispersals. However, previous research has not yet systematically evaluated the formation processes that influence the frequency of Palaeolithic cave sites in the region. To address this deficiency, we combined field survey and micromorphological analyses in the piedmont zone of south Kazakhstan. Here, we present our preliminary results focusing on selected sites of the Qaratau mountains. Sediment cover varies among the surveyed caves, and loess-like sediments dominate the cave sequences. The preservation of cave deposits is influenced by reworking of cave sediments within the caves but also by the broader erosional processes that shape semiarid landscapes. Ultimately, deposits of potentially Pleistocene age are scarce. Our study provides new data in the geoarchaeologically neglected region of Central Asia and demonstrates that micromorphology has great analytical potential even within the limitations of rigorous survey projects. We outline some of the processes that influence the formation and preservation of cave deposits in Kazakhstan, as well as broader implications for the distribution of Palaeolithic cave sites in Central Asia and other semiarid environments