FIELD STUDIES OF THE STONE AGE IN THE WESTERN KAZAKHSTAN REGION IN 2018 (preliminary report)

Abstract

This article is devoted to presents a preliminary information about the field research conducted by the A.Kh. Margulan Institute of Archaeology in the Stone Age sites in the basin of the Derkul river in 2018. Sites Vavilino 1 and Derkul 1 are located in the valley of the river Derkul, and have preserved cultural layers, which makes these monuments unique for the study of the stone age of the region, as there are only a few monuments with a preserved cultural layer in Western Kazakhstan. The archaeological excavations in 2018 showed the presence of powerful cultural deposits, rich archaeological finds: stone artifacts, fragments of ceramics, bone remains. Monuments are pre-dated to the Neolithic-Eneolithic time, radiocarbon data will give a more accurate age. The presence of a large number of bone residues will determine their species identity, and it is also possible to solve the questions of the domestication of some of them in the region. Currently, the monuments are classified as emergency, so their study is of great relevance.