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ABSTRACT
This article is devoted to the results of the study of the Stone Age in Uzbekistan during the years of independence.
The article analyzes the results of local and international archaeological expeditions.
KEYWORDS
Paleolithic, Selungur cave, Obirahmat cave, Asian Acheulian culture, Kulbulak, Teshiktash, transition from the Middle
to the Upper Paleolithic.
INTRODUCTION
During the ancient Stone Age, the Central Asian region
played a crucial role in migration processes in various
directions due to its favorable geographical location
and paleoecological conditions.
Regarding the issue of early Paleolithic sites in Central
Asia, specialists from the Institute of Archaeology and
Ethnography of the Siberian Branch of the Russian
Academy of Sciences (IAE SB RAS) have expressed
skepticism about the presence of this period in the
region. For instance, they argue that the lower layers
of Kölbulak lack any connection with the Brunhes-
Matuyama deposits and that the materials from
Selungur Cave belong to the Middle Paleolithic.
However, when it comes to the Acheulean context of
Kölbulak, our Russian colleagues themselves have
convincingly described the mixed nature of the cultural
deposits at the site.
Therefore, it is natural that Acheulean period materials
appear in different excavation layers and depths. The
absence of early Paleolithic materials in some
excavations does not necessarily imply that Acheulean
artifacts are entirely absent from the site. After all,
Research Article
NEW FINDINGS ON THE STUDIES OF THE OLD STONE AGE IN
UZBEKISTAN
Submission Date:
June 20, 2024,
Accepted Date:
June 25, 2024,
Published Date:
June 30, 2024
Crossref doi:
https://doi.org/10.37547/history-crjh-05-06-03
Djurakulova Dilfuza
Candidate of historical science, professor, Samarkand State University, Uzbekistan
Journal
Website:
https://masterjournals.
com/index.php/crjh
Copyright:
Original
content from this work
may be used under the
terms of the creative
commons
attributes
4.0 licence.
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sedimentary deposits do not accumulate layer by layer
in a perfectly sequential manner. Excavations
conducted by M. R. Kosimov revealed Acheulean
artifacts among the lower-layer industries, which were
observed and confirmed by prominent specialists such
as V. A. Ranov, N. K. Anisyutkin, and several others.
Unfortunately, during the relocation of the base of the
Institute of Archaeology of the Academy of Sciences of
Uzbekistan in Tashkent, these materials were lost
without a trace.
Regarding the chronological classification of materials
from Selungur Cave, it is important to note that in 1988,
a major international conference was held at the site to
commemorate the 50th anniversary of the discovery of
Teshik-Tash Cave. During the conference, many
participants acknowledged the presence of Early
Paleolithic artifacts among the materials from
Selungur. For instance, some hand axes, cleavers, and
other stone tools found in Selungur’s cultural layers are
characteristic of the Asian Acheulean culture of the
Early Paleolithic period. This suggests that Selungur
Cave serves as a key reference site that reflects both
the Early and Middle Paleolithic periods.
Russian researchers have not expressed any opinions
regarding other Early Paleolithic sites in Central Asia,
such as Boriqozgon, Tandirqozgon, and Qoratov.
Nevertheless, the author argues that Early Paleolithic
sites were indeed present in the Central Asian region,
and the conclusions made by Russian colleagues about
the absence of Early Paleolithic remains in the area
were hastily drawn and erroneous.
In recent years, archaeological discoveries have further
reinforced the significance of Central Asia as one of the
key regions in the formation and dispersal of modern
humans. This topic has sparked widespread debate and
discussion, attracting increasing scholarly interest.
Thanks to the collaboration of scientists from various
countries (Uzbekistan, Russia, the USA, Poland,
France, and Japan), groundbreaking discoveries have
been made. The *Obi-Rakhmat Man* exhibits a hybrid
nature, displaying characteristics of both Neanderthals
and anatomically modern humans. Many of its
parameters are unique among paleoanthropological
finds worldwide. The reason behind this admixture and
the presence of specific traits remains uncertain,
making it difficult to provide a definitive answer. It is
possible that this discovery represents an independent
representative of the multiregional formation of
modern humans, or it serves as evidence of
interbreeding between Neanderthals and modern
humans.
The uniqueness and significance of the *Obi-Rakhmat
Man* discovery for historical science, alongside the
importance of studying the associated cultural
materials, necessitated the organization of an
international conference dedicated to the issues of the
Stone Age in Central Asia. This conference was held in
Uzbekistan from August 9 to 15, 2004, with financial
support from the prestigious *Wenner-Gren*
International Scientific Foundation. The event was
attended by renowned scholars from more than ten
countries, including Uzbekistan, Russia, Tajikistan, the
USA, Austria, France, Germany, the Czech Republic,
Belgium, Spain, Sweden, Luxembourg, and Japan.
At the end of the 20th century, the resumption of
archaeological research at key Paleolithic sites in
Central Asia led to the identification of significant
technological and cultural innovations within Middle
Paleolithic
industries.
Chronologically,
these
discoveries suggest that structural changes in ancient
human culture in the region began at least 20,000
–
30,000 years earlier than the emergence of Late
Paleolithic cultures in Europe.
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Notably,
archaeological
complexes
dated
to
approximately 80,000
–
70,000 years ago revealed
systematic application of advanced blade and
microblade
knapping
techniques
—
technologies
previously considered exclusive to Late Paleolithic
cultures. This finding not only underscores the
presence of progressive innovative solutions within
Middle Paleolithic industries but also raises critical
questions regarding cultural terminology and
classification. Additionally, it reignites debates about
the driving forces behind cultural evolution,
highlighting the role and impact of technological and
cultural innovations in the earliest history of
humankind.
Furthermore, in examining the transition from the
Middle to the Late Paleolithic and its subsequent
development, it becomes crucial not only to determine
the origins and timing of specific cultural components
but also to understand the mechanisms that facilitated
the convergence of acquired cultural potential
—
various technological and cultural innovations that
arose at different times and in different locations. This
process ultimately contributed to the formation of a
new Late Paleolithic culture and played a key role in
defining the comprehensive behavioral complex of
anatomically modern humans.
In 2003, hominid remains discovered in Obi-Rakhmat
Cave marked the first find of this type in Uzbekistan in
the past 65 years. Previously, the Middle Paleolithic
burial of a child found in Teshik-Tash Cave had defined
the
easternmost
boundary
of
Neanderthal
distribution. This discovery had led to the assumption
that all Mousterian complexes in the region were
associated with this specific anthropological type.
However, the morphological characteristics of the
skeletal remains from Obi-Rakhmat Cave, along with
the associated stone industry, challenge this long-
standing axiom and call for a reassessment.
The anthropological remains consist of six sequential
teeth from the upper jaw and approximately 150 small
fragments of the skull. Some of these skeletal remains
were found in situ within the stratigraphic layer, while
others were identified during the washing process of
loose sediments taken from the site. This indicates a
strong spatial association among the skeletal
elements. Although all these finds come from a
relatively small area of the deposit, there is no evidence
to suggest they were part of a deliberate burial or
influenced by other taphonomic factors.
Chronological analysis of the layer containing the
paleoanthropological materials suggests that it is over
40,000 years old. Overall, the analysis of the skull
fragments indicates a close affinity with anatomically
modern humans. However, discriminant functional
analysis of the metric characteristics of the teeth found
at the site has identified Neanderthal-like traits.
Although this result is statistically reliable, there are no
significant size-based differences among Pleistocene
hominid groups. The use of tooth size as a taxonomic
indicator remains problematic, as larger teeth are
often associated with representatives of anatomically
modern humans.
Thus, in terms of morphology, *Obi-Rakhmat Man*
cannot be classified as an anatomically modern human,
a Neanderthal, or an archaic *Homo sapiens*. The
extreme fragmentation of the skull and the young age
of the individual complicate the precise determination
of its morphological characteristics. However, visible
morphological features suggest a closer resemblance
to anatomically modern humans. The reconstructed
left side of the skullcap is relatively large and thin, while
the temporal bone exhibits a more modern external
appearance.
These cranial features, characterized by gracility and
large size, combined with the archaic appearance of
the teeth and the ambiguous morphology of the ear
Volume 05 Issue 06-2024
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CURRENT RESEARCH JOURNAL OF HISTORY
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VOLUME
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labyrinth, exhibit a mosaic morphology similar to the
hominid remains discovered at the *Oase* site in
Romania.
Thus, scientific research conducted in Uzbekistan
during the years of independence has led to new
conclusions about the study of the ancient Stone Age.
In particular, the reassessment of cultural and
chronological development models for the Middle
Paleolithic period has prompted a revision of facies
differentiation at the end of this era. Specifically, the
*Mousterian* tradition in the region has moved away
from the *denticulate facies* classification, and the
role of the *Levallois* component in local Middle
Paleolithic industries has been reevaluated and
diminished.
The analysis of prominent blade industries in the
Western Pamir-Tianshan region has confirmed that
they belong to a single cultural tradition, which was
found to have existed from approximately 80,000
–
70,000 BCE to 40,000
–
35,000 BCE. Based on the
technological and typological characteristics of the
studied complexes, indicators of transitional industries
were identified, and the Obi-Rakhmat variant of the
transition from the Middle to the Upper Paleolithic was
distinguished.
During the years of independence, numerous new
Paleolithic sites have been discovered and introduced
into scientific discourse, including Todakhotin 1 and 2,
Angren, Yangiobod 1 and 5, Jom, Bulungur,
Chashmabulok, Kokcha, Oyaqogitma, Sultan Uvaystog,
Machay 2, Toda 1, Chodak, Sariqorgon 1, Jonobod, and
Qotirbulok (Andijan region), among others. These
findings not only enriched the mapping of ancient
Stone Age cultures in Uzbekistan but also
demonstrated that geometric microlithic tools
characteristic of the Mesolithic period at Todakhotin 2
evolved from local Upper Paleolithic industries.
The materials from Chodak, Sariqorgon, and
Qotirbulok, identified for the first time in the Fergana
Valley and associated with the Late Paleolithic, filled a
crucial gap in the region’s prehistoric record,
significantly enhancing our understanding of early
human settlement and technological development.
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