New stratified Stone Age sites at Tikenekti-2 and Yntymaq in the Ile Alatau piedmonts (Southeastern Kazakhstan)

The foothill zones of the Ile Alatau range due to its geomorphological setting represent an area of interest to locate new stratified Stone Age sites. Thick deposits of wind-blown sediments blanket a vast area that might potentially preserve intact layers of human occupation. Currently, only two stratified Palaeolithic sites of Maibulaq and Rahat have been thoroughly studied. Both sites preserve cultural horizons dating from the Early Upper Palaeolithic to the later stages of the Upper Palaeolithic based on techno-typology of the assemblages and absolute chronometric dating methods. Despite the potential to yield new sites, the region remains understudied. In this article, we present the survey outcomes in the foothills of the Ile Alatau, which resulted in the discovery of two stratified sites found in loessic geomorphological contexts. Here, we provide preliminary data on the findings, stratigraphic, and chronological state of the sites. Radiocarbon dates from Tikenekti suggest that the site was occupied during the transitional period from the Late Pleistocene to the Early Holocene (10–13 ka BP), whereas the upper horizon at Yntymaq corresponds to the late Neolithic (5800 BP).