Levallois Reduction Strategies in the Lithic Industry of Layer 23 at the Kulbulak Site: Point and Blade Manufacturing

In the Western Tien Shan, the oldest Obi-Rakhmatian complexes (MIS 6-7) were established in layers 23 and 24 at the Kulbulak site. The lithic industry of layer 23 records a combined primary knapping system. Based on scar-pattern analysis and morphological descriptions of cores, the variability of Levallois working technique is characterized in this paper. It is established that the main feature of Levallois preferential bidirectional cores is the predetermined morphology of the target blank (Levallois point) attained by subparallel removals from the base or convergent lateral flakes from the main platform. An important technological marker of the resulting blanks is the presence of a Y-shaped negative on the dorsal surface formed by unidirectional or counter-removals. Levallois recurrent unidirectional cores are distinguished by the use of a single main platform for the sequential removal of several target blanks. These blanks could have blade-like morphology, or, with convergent flake orientation, point-like morphology. However, the small size of the collection precludes the classification of the Levallois recurrent unidirectional cores into cores for blade and for point production. The Levallois techniques used in the industry of layer 23 at the Kulbulak site allowed for the production of a wide range of Levallois blanks, which, in addition to flakes, included blades and points.

Hali tarjima qilinmagan