The article considers the validity of identifying the toothed mousterian facies for the territory of Uzbekistan based on the study of the Middle Paleolithic collection from the Kulbulak multi-layered reference monument. Based on the analysis, we can conclude that the main marking feature of the complex referred to as a toothed moustache - the toothed contour of products - is the result of natural processes. Accordingly, the allocation of this facies on the materials of the Kulbulak site is unjustified, and it is problematic for the entire territory of Central Asia.

Key words: Middle Paleolithic, toothed Mousterian facies, taphonomic retouching, Central Asia.

Introduction

Facies differentiation of Middle Paleolithic complexes was first proposed by F. Board in the early 60s of the XX century. to better reflect the cultural variability of the Mousterian industries in France (Bordes, 1961). To distinguish facies that existed in the Middle Paleolithic, the French researcher applied a typological approach, in which they were studied and compared on the basis of a single type list of nuclei and tools (type list F). As well as unified typological and technological indices (Levallois index, plate index, Skrebel index, etc.). The variability of the Middle Paleolithic of France revealed as a result of the introduction of unified standards for describing and comparing stone inventory attracted Stone Age researchers by the possibility of objective comparison of Paleolithic industries in geographically distant regions. Thus, the scheme of cultural development proposed to explain the variability of Mousterian industries of the inhabitants of the territory of Southern France was transferred to other regions.-

The work was carried out within the framework of GC No. 02.740.11.0353 of the Federal Target Program "Scientific and scientific-pedagogical personnel of innovative Russia", RAS program project No. 28.1.9 "Culture of the primitive population of North Asia at the turn of the Middle and Upper Paleolithic", RFBR project No. 11-06-1200 ofi-M.

Illustrations of stone artefacts were made by N. V. Vavilina, a leading artist of the Institute of Electrotechnical Engineering of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

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It has been successfully used by many archaeologists up to the present time. Nevertheless, in some cases, attempts to create such regional schemes in full accordance with the European cultural sequence may be formal in nature and lead to erroneous interpretation of the features and relationships of various stages of the local evolution of the culture of ancient man.

In this paper, we consider the validity of identifying the toothed Mousterian facies for the territory of Uzbekistan based on the study of the Middle Paleolithic collection of the Kulbulak multilayered reference monument.

Toothed Moutier facies

For the first time, the jagged moustache was singled out as a separate variant of the Middle Paleolithic. Bordes was published in 1953 as part of the identification and comparison of Mousterian facies in Southwestern France, and he gave a full technical and typological justification of this variant (as well as five other facies) in 1961 (Bordes, 1961). The division of technocomplexes into different facies was made on the basis of statistically verifiable typological and technological indices of industries. According to these indexes (Levallois indices, faceting, scrapers, etc.), the Middle Paleolithic monuments assigned to the crenellated moustache were characterized by a non-Levallois (typologically and technologically) character, an insignificant index of faceting of impact sites, a small number of scrapers, bifaces, and knives with a butt, with a predominance of crenellated and notched tools (Bordes, 1961; Dibble, Rolland, 1992].

Suggested name Bordering facies division of stone industries with the allocation of a separate jagged variant becomes a leading trend in paleolithic studies and almost immediately begins to be used for the analysis of paleolithic complexes in Eurasia, including in the territory of the former Soviet Union. For example, in 1965 V. P. Lubin proposed to distinguish the toothed and typical Mousterian facies in the Middle Paleolithic of the Caucasus (1977); V. P. Grigoriev proposed to distinguish the micro - toothed variant of the Mousterian industries of Fore Asia along with the Yabrudian, Acheulean-Levalloisian, Levalloisian, and Amudian (1965). In 1966, I. I. Korobkov identified two different mousterian industries on the territory of the Sochi-Sukhumi Black Sea region: Teiyak-jagged and Levallois-Mousterian (Korobkov and Mansurov, 1972; Lubin, 1977). In the same year, V. N. Gladilin, based on the study of the Middle Paleolithic collections of the Russian Plain and Crimea, identified six technical variants: jagged, Micromousterian, Micromousterian with the Acheulean tradition, Mousterian with the Acheulean tradition, Levallois-Mousterian, Levallois-Mousterian with the Acheulean tradition [1966]. In addition to the Maroon characteristics of the crenellated moustier, he drew attention to the dimension of stone tools. V. N. Gladilin referred to the toothed version of industries as complexes with low indicators of double-sided finishing and the predominance of toothed-notched products in the tool kit, while in the industry as a whole, products of large and medium (more than 5 cm) sizes should have dominated [1976].

Researchers dealing with the problems of the Paleolithic of Central Asia did not stay away from the fashion for "Mousterian facies". V. A. Ranov was the first to attempt a facies division of the Middle Paleolithic monuments of this region and identified the following local groups: Levallois, Levallois-Mousterian, Mousterian and Moustero-Soan [1968]. M. R. Kasymov, based on the study of collections of stone products from the multi-layered Kulbulak site, first announced the identification of a separate toothed version of mustier in the region (and specifically in Uzbekistan) [Istoriya..., 1967; Ranov and Nesmeyanov, 1973]. R. H. Suleymanov (1972) proposed his own view on the internal subdivision of the Central Asian mustier. In his opinion, two large groups can be distinguished: complexes characterized by jagged-notched forms, disc-shaped nuclei, scrapers, incisors, plows, and monuments of the Obirakhmatian culture. R. H. Suleymanov, following M. R. Kasymov, calls the Kulbulak parking lot a standard for identifying jagged industries. Later, he no longer speaks about facies, but about the ways of development of the Middle Paleolithic cultures of the region, distinguishing two: Levallois and jagged (Tashkenbaev and Suleymanov, 1980). T. Omanzhulov, in his PhD thesis on the Mousterian monuments of the Tashkent oasis, also divides them into two groups: those with the Teiyak-jagged industries (where, in addition to Kulbulak, he includes the Bozsu-1 and -2 sites, Kuhisimskaya and Burgulyuksay) and those related to the Obirakhmat culture. In the valley of the Zeravshan River, he also identifies a variant of an atypical toothed moustache, represented by materials from the Kuturbulak and Zirabulak monuments. The researcher sees atypical nature in the fact that, despite the predominance of serrated products in the tool kit, the technological basis of these industries is lamellar and Levallois (which brings them closer to the complexes of the Obirakhmat culture), while typical tooth-Teiyak industries are based on split-off splitting techniques (Omanzhulov, 1984). after analyzing the published data on the Middle Paleolithic monuments of Central Asia, also

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1. Location of monuments of Central Asia related to the toothed Mousterian facies (according to (Kasymov, 1990; Omanzhulov, 1984)). a-sites with problematic stratigraphy; b-sites with exposed materials.

She identified two variants: common and jagged mustier [1990], the latter being mainly based on materials from the Kulbulak site.

Thus, when classifying the Central Asian industries of the Middle Paleolithic, the selection of the jagged moustache variant, determined on the basis of one reference stratified Kulbulak monument located on the territory of Uzbekistan, remains unchanged. The rest of the sites assigned by various authors to this variant are either sites with exposed archaeological material (Bozsu-1 and -2, Burgulyuksai), or sites where the undisturbed stratified position of stone artifacts raises serious objections (Kukhisimskaya, Kuturbulak, Zirabulak) (Fig. 1).

Middle Paleolithic materials of the Kulbulak site

History and problems of studying

The Kulbulak multi-layer open-type parking lot (41°00 ' 31 "c. w., 70°00' 22 " e. d.) is located on the south-eastern slopes of the Chatkal range in the Tashkent region. Of the Republic of Uzbekistan. It is located on a long promontory on the right bank of the Jar-saya estuary, which flows into the Kyzylalma River, a right tributary of the Akhangaran River. The parking lot was opened in 1962 by O. M. Rostovtsev. Stationary excavations of the monument were conducted intermittently in 1963-1984. A 19 m thick layer of Quaternary sediments was uncovered (Kasymov, 1990). Over the years, the total area of excavations (more than ten excavation sites) has exceeded 600 m2. In the early 90's of the XX century, a number of researchers attempted to resume work on the site, mainly studying the Upper Paleolithic layers of the monument, but the projects started did not receive large-scale development [Novye Issledovaniya..., 1995].

According to M. R. Kasimov, the main researcher of the monument in the 60-80 years. At the Kulbulak site, 22 cultural layers of the Lower Paleolithic, 24 of the Middle and 3 of the Upper Paleolithic can be distinguished. Accordingly, the cultural and stratigraphic column of the monument reflects all the stages of Paleolithic man's development of the northwestern spurs of the Tien Shan Range, demonstrating the evolutionary autochthonous development of material culture (Kasymov, 1990). In particular, the massive archaeological material contained in the Middle Paleolithic layers allowed M. R. Kasimov to identify a regional variant of the Middle Paleolithic - the Central Asian jagged moustache. The main reason for this cultural definition was the presence in a large number of tools with uneven jagged or notched edges. As additional features that characterize this local variant, the researcher named the abundance of massive chips with radial or convergent faceting of dorsal surfaces and the presence of faceted impact pads with a general insignificant presence of the Levallois technique. The set of tools typical for the selected version of the toothed moustache is very diverse and, in addition to various types of toothed tools (toothed scrapers, toothed and notched tools, Tejac points), includes approx. 40 items [Ibid.].

M. R. Kasymov's conclusions about the evolution and continuity of the stone industries of Kulbulak were based on the researcher's claim that all cultural layers of the monument included in the lithological deposits formed as a result of calm sedimentation were undisturbed [1972]. This point of view on the sedimentary history of the site was challenged by V. A. Ranov and S. A. Nesmeyanov, who interpreted some of the sediments (layers 4-6, and possibly even lower). as sediments of proluvial-mudflow origin [1973]. The conclusion was made on the os-

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The authors noted the difference in the preservation of the discovered archaeological material (different degrees of patination of artifacts, both when comparing between layers and in the context of a single layer, and their frequent roundness). V. A. Ranov and S. A. Nesmeyanov argued that only artifacts from the Upper Paleolithic layers are directly related to the site At least from the upper Mousterian strata were redeposited from stone-working workshops located in the Paleogene limestone ridge located a few kilometers north of Kulbulak: the archaeological material was transported by periodic mudflows passing through the mouth of the temporary Jar-sai watercourse. The streambed near the parking lot makes a sharp bend, as a result of which, according to the authors of the hypothesis, proluvium accumulation took place on this site, containing in addition to the pebble-gravel matrix and movable artifacts. The discussion that developed between the main opponents in the following years about the genesis of the culture-containing sediments of the site did not lead to a consensus [Ranov and Nesmeyanov, 1973; Nesmeyanov, 1978; Kasymov and Tetyukhin, 1981; Kasymov and Godin, 1984; Ranov, 1988; Kasymov, 1990]. In the early 90s of the XX century, the point of view of V. A. Ranov and S. A. Nesmeyanov was partially confirmed as a result of field research by N. K. Anisyutkin, who in 1994, in collaboration with employees of the Institute of Archeology of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Uzbekistan, excavated lithological layers 1-4 in the southern part of the site on an area of 30 m2 (nomenclature M). R. Kasymova) [New research..., 1995]. The exposed sediments contained both Upper Palaeolithic (layers 1-2) and Middle Palaeolithic (layers 3-4) cultural remains. N. K. Anisyutkin concluded that the Upper Palaeolithic layers were relatively undisturbed (with possible minor planar movement within the site) and that layer 4, which includes archaeological material transported by natural processes from the sites, was of mudflow origin. located on the hills adjacent to Kulbulak. He also noted evidence of re-use by the Upper Paleolithic inhabitants of the site of more ancient (rounded) stone products and suggested that the deposits deformed to one degree or another (mainly mudflow) may also be lower in the section [Ibid.].

In 2007, within the framework of a cooperation agreement between the Institute of Archeology of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Uzbekistan (Samarkand, Uzbekistan), the Institute of Archeology and Ethnography of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences (Novosibirsk, Russia) and the Royal Museum of Art and History (Brussels, Belgium), archaeological work on the monument was resumed. The main goal of the new stage of research, which lasted until 2010, is to verify the cultural and chronological range of the parking lot that was declared as a result of previous studies. To achieve this goal, tasks were set to refine the stratigraphy of the monument, obtain control archaeological collections, and perform absolute dating of cultural deposits. Excavation work was carried out at three sites. On the first one, adjacent to the western wall of the Kasymov mine No. 3, the upper part of the Middle Paleolithic deposits was exposed on an area of 6 m2 (layer 3 according to the nomenclature of 2007, layer 4 according to the column of M. R. Kasymov). The remaining Upper Paleolithic deposits (layer 2 according to the 2007 stratigraphic scheme) were excavated at the second 21 m2 site located north of pit No. 3. R. Kasymova. The third excavation site was originally a clearing of the western wall of this pit. Due to the fact that excavations in the 80s of the XX century were carried out stepwise, with a decrease in the excavation area as it deepened, in the course of work in 2007-2010. in the north-western corner of pit No. 3 of the Kasymov mine, on an area of 6 m2, sediments undisturbed by previous works (lithological layers 11-24 according to the nomenclature of 2007-2010), representing, according to the scheme of 1984, the Acheulean (Early Paleolithic) period of human settlement of the Kulbulak site, were uncovered and studied.

Overall, the stratigraphic column is 2007-2010. [Kolobova et al., 2010] corresponds to the schematic diagram of the 60s-80s of the XX century.The existing discrepancies are mainly explained by the fact that the column of M. R. Kasimov is a consolidated scheme of deposits uncovered at different sites of the monument. Accordingly, a number of layers present in it (both lithological and archaeological) are not observed in the sections of 2007-2010. In particular, during recent studies of the monument, archaeological material was found only in ten lithological layers (2, 3, 12-18 and 23). Layers 4-11 (according to the results of stripping) and 19-22 (according to the results of excavations) did not contain artifacts. However, given the immediate timing of the excavations in 2007-2010, It can be argued that the materials of the study represent all the stages of sedimentation and periods of settlement of the territory of the monument, identified by M. R. Kasymov.

Based on the results of geomorphological, sedimentological, and stratigraphic studies conducted in 2007-2010 [Ibid.], it can be argued that the stratigraphy of the studied area reflects the rhythmic alternation of two main accumulation cycles.-

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sediment concentrations. One is characterized by a relatively calm accumulation of sediments of mainly Aeolian origin, processed by slope and subaqueous processes. The subaqueous nature of the sediments is caused by the action of an ascending source of underground water, a small stream flowing out of it, and temporary dams that existed. Another cycle of precipitation accumulation is associated with their rapid (catastrophic) accumulation as a result of mud-stone mudflows flooding into the territory of the monument's location, passing along the channels of the Dzhar-saya and Kyzylalma-saya rivers.

Taking into account the differences in the genesis of deposits containing archaeological finds, we can say that the Upper Paleolithic materials lying in lithological layer 2 (cultural layers 2.1 and 2.2) are in a relatively undisturbed context. Lithological layers are also associated with calm sedimentation 9, 10, 12, 13, 15, 16, 17.2, 18-23. The archaeological material contained in some of them (the most representative in layers 16 and 23) demonstrates the relative integrity of the cultural layer. This is evidenced by the data of planigraphic observations, the presence of small-sized artifacts and applied products in the collection. Alluvial-proluvial (mudflow) genesis in the 2007-2010 section has lithological layers 3-8, 11, 14, 17.1, and 17.3. Accordingly, the archaeological material found in some of them shows a redeposited character ("weighted" position in the layer, varying degrees of surface preservation, and often strong roundness).

Thus, the results of the study of the Kulbulak site in 2007-2010 indicate that ancient humans undoubtedly inhabited this area during the Upper Paleolithic period (layers 2 of the 2007-2010 excavations, 1 and 2 of the 1994-1995 excavations), as well as during certain periods of the previous Stone Age stages (layers 16 and 23). Most of the archaeological finds from other stratigraphic units (primarily from the middle part of the section containing Middle Paleolithic material) most likely came to the site as part of mudflows.

Layer 3 Industry

As a result of excavations in 2007-2010, the most massive archaeological material for the Middle Paleolithic part of the site section was obtained from layer 3 (layer 4 according to the scheme of M. R. Kasimov). It shows a large number of tools designed with various types of retouching, which formed a mostly jagged contour. This observation is consistent with the conclusions of M. R. Kasimov, who determined the entire Middle Paleolithic period at the Kulbulak monument (including the uppermost Mousterian layers). as a jagged version of the mustier of Central Asia. Thus, archaeological finds from Layer 3 can be used to verify the cultural definition of the Middle Paleolithic site materials.

In 2007-2010, 3,271 artifacts were found in layer 3. Most of the finds (2,410 specimens, 74 %) are represented by industrial waste in the form of fragments (883 specimens, 27%), indeterminate fragments of chips (276 specimens, 8%) and scales (1,251 specimens, 38%).

Primary splitting. The nuclide-shaped items number 97 copies. (3 %). This category includes typologically definable (69 specimens) and indeterminable depleted (23 specimens) nuclei, nucleoid fragments (3 specimens), and preformed nuclei (2 specimens).

For the production of flakes, primary and secondary (made on chips) cores (43 copies) were used, in most cases with non-voluminous working surfaces. Blanks with the proportions and morphological features of the plates were obtained from monofrontal flattened planar nuclei of parallel cleavage principle of longitudinal (2 copies) and transverse (1 copy) orientation and end wedge-shaped nuclei (2 copies).

The collection includes nuclei that were used to produce small plate blanks (11 specimens): end (2 specimens), wedge - shaped end and carenoid (monofrontal - 3 specimens, bifrontal-1 specimen). Plates were also obtained from one-and two-site cores of parallel splitting principle with different degrees of convexity of the working surface. A representative group of nuclei, from which chips were simultaneously obtained with the proportions of both flakes and plates (4 copies) or plates and plates (6 copies).

Chips (764 copies) make up 23 % of the entire collection. They are represented by flakes (635 copies, 83 % of all chips), plates (42 copies, 5 %), plates (6 copies, 1%) and technical chips (81 copies, 11%). The latter include primary (24 specimens, 29.6 %) and secondary (22 specimens, 27.2 %) decortication chips, marginal (13 specimens, 16.0 %), semi-costal (11 specimens, 13.6 %), costal (2 specimens, 2.5 %) chips, partial tablets (5 specimens, 6.2 %), cleavage arc correction chips (3 copies, 3.7 %), and a chip that removed the terminal base of the nucleus (1.2 %).

In general, the industry is characterized by a rather rough part-time work of the shock pad. The chips are dominated by smooth residual impact pads created by a single removal, and dihedral (symmetric and asymmetric) and polyhedral ones are quite well represented. Linear and point percussion instruments

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platforms, as well as faceted ones, are practically nonexistent. Maintaining the required cleavage angle by removing the cornice is fixed only in a few instances. Judging by the absence of chips with a vague impact bump and ventral cornice, an exceptionally hard bump was used for chipping.

Analysis of the edges of the dorsal surface of chips indicates the predominant use of a parallel splitting method. As part of this method, the most commonly used technique was longitudinal chipping. The use of cross, counter, and orthogonal splitting techniques is much less common in the parking industry. In addition, the collection contains a large number of chips with a smooth dorsal surface, as well as a few products with centripetal and convergent cuts.

Gun kit. When studying the collection, it became obvious that most of the products with retouching are likely to have a natural origin. The appearance of a large number of artifacts (clogged, "torn" edges, roundness of varying degrees) indicates that they have undergone a fairly strong impact. Since items with facets of presumably non-anthropogenic origin were extracted from a lithological body formed as a result of mudflow activity, traces of chip destruction could have appeared due to the interaction of artifacts with each other and with the detrital filling of the lithological body during joint transportation to the accumulation site. Accordingly, when describing the tool kit, artifacts were divided into two groups: those with deliberate secondary processing and those with edge destruction caused by natural processes. When assigning products to the first group, we used features that are characteristic of elements of secondary processing that were created intentionally [Kolobova, 2006]. The second group included artifacts that are most likely pseudo-tools and have traces of retouching of taphonomic origin. Such pseudo-retouching is characterized by spreading along the entire perimeter of the tool, alternating and alternating character, steep or steep application angle, different facets, it crushes, crushes or clogs the edges of the product (Shchelinsky, 1983). The presence of such multiple chip damages indicates mainly the impact of geological processes, i.e., the appearance of this kind of" retouching " as a result of the movement of geological (lithological) bodies (Gifford-Gonzalez et al., 1985). These are mainly mudflows, processes of solifluction, subsidence, and pressure of crushed stone (Shchelinsky, 1983). As a result of the taphonomic impact, the edges of the chips, as the thinnest and most vulnerable, undergo the greatest modification ("retouched") [Dibble et al., 2006], and the remaining parts (the impact area, dorsal and ventral surfaces) usually bear only traces of clogging; the chip as a whole acquires signs of roundness. Since the study of such destruction traces makes it impossible to conduct experiments confirming their origin (in contrast, for example, to retouch trampling) [McBreartry et al., 1998], as an accessible research method is morphotypological analysis of the characteristics of pseudo-tools and their comparison with the characteristics of products created intentionally.

A group of undisputed guns. It consists of 14 items, most of which belong to the categories of scraping tools. Single longitudinal straight scrapers are presented in 4 copies. The first gun was prepared using a massive plate, curved in profile and multi-faceted in cross-section. The working area occupies the left longitudinal edge of the workpiece, capturing part of the distal one. Retouching is dorsal, widespread, steep, permanent, highly modifying, scaly, creating a jagged contour. The opposite face forms the rim. On the plane of the transverse fracture of the chip, the morphological appearance of facets changes, they become vertical (corresponding to the angle of the fracture), episodic, and weakly modifying. This area is most likely the result of mechanical damage (Figs. 2, 3). The second gun is formed on a massive triangular chip in cross-section, which removed a significant part of the impact site of the nucleus. The right longitudinal edge of the product is transformed into a blade by applying a widespread steep permanent strongly modifying scaly retouch with facets of 4-6 mm in size forming a wavy working edge on the dorsal plane (Figs. 2, 4). The third tool is made of exfoliated pebbles of effusive rock. Retouching is localized on one of the extended sections of the product. It is steep, constant, highly modifying, large-facetted, and scaly (Figs. 2, 10). The fourth cleavage is formed on a small rectangular medial-distal fragment of the cleavage that has removed the base of the nucleus. Deliberate secondary processing of the product included retouching the left longitudinal edge of the edge surface with a permanent strongly modifying scaly retouch, forming a wavy working edge. Facets of episodic steep pseudo-retouching are recognized on the back side at the distal end of the product. The convergent scraper is made of medium-sized flakes that are sub-triangular in plan and cross-section. Retouching extends to 3/4 of the product's perimeter, taking up the distal and pro-

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2. Products made intentionally from the complex of layer 3 of the Kulbulak site (excavations in 2007-2010).

lobed edges of the blank. On the left edge, it is dorsal, widespread, steep, constant, strongly modifying, stepped, multi - row, forming a wavy contour; on the right edge, it is marginal, dorsal, constant, medium modifying, scaly, creating a straight contour (Fig. 2, 6). A double longitudinal scraper is formed on an oval plate in plan. Two working areas are located on the longitudinal edges of the workpiece. Both were treated with dorsal extended steep permanent strongly modifying sub-parallel retouching, forming a jagged contour. At the distal end of the product, clear traces of mechanical damage are recorded (Fig. 2, 7). The double longitudinal biconvex scraper is made of a medium-sized leaf-shaped plate. The working area occupies 1/2 of the perimeter of the workpiece and extends to both longitudinal edges. Right end of dorsal ras-

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2, 8). The longitudinal-transverse biconvex scraper is made on a large flattened flake of effusive rock. Facets of an alternating constant vertical toothed pseudoretouch are fixed on the residual impact pad and the proximal section of the right longitudinal edge. The working area, which occupies half of the workpiece perimeter, is located on the left longitudinal and distal edges of the chip. Secondary processing was carried out by applying a filling steep permanent strongly modifying scaly retouch to the dorsal plane of facets (Figs. 2, 12).

End scrapers are presented in 2 copies. The first tool (Figs. 2, 1) is formed on a small trapezoidal chip with a longitudinal cut of the dorsal surface. The working area on the distal edge is formed by a dorsal edge vertical constant strongly modifying sub-parallel retouching, forming a smooth working edge. In addition to deliberate processing, facets of a constant dorsal steep pseudoretouch are fixed on both longitudinal edges of the product. The second tool (Fig. 2, 2) is formed on a large edge chip that has removed the basal part of the nucleus. The working area is formed by dorsal edge vertical constant strongly modifying sub-parallel retouching. Both longitudinal edges of the product are covered with facets of a constant alternating steep toothed pseudoretouch. Side scrapers 2 copies. The first one is made on a small rectangular chip. A straight scraper blade is formed on the left longitudinal edge of the blank with a dorsal edge sharp permanent strongly modifying scaly retouch, forming a jagged contour. On the opposite edge, a dorsal permanent vertical strongly modifying pseudo-retouch is fixed, creating a concave contour (Figs. 2, 9). The second scraper is designed on a fine sub-rectangular flint billet with flake proportions. The right longitudinal edge of the product bears clear facets of the dorsal permanent vertical mid-modifying scaly retouching. The scraper blade is formed in the medial-distal part of the left longitudinal edge on the ventral plane of the workpiece. The working area is decorated with a fine-facet edge vertical constant strongly modifying sub-parallel retouching (Figs. 2, 5).

Plate flake with retouching - a rectangular chip of medium size with a propeller-shaped profile. A deliberately processed area occupies the right longitudinal edge of the blank. Retouching is dorsal, marginal, vertical, permanent, mid-modifying, scaly, forming a jagged contour. On the left longitudinal edge of the product, facets of a constant steep toothed medium-modifying pseudo-retouch are fixed. A retouched chip is a medium-sized trapezoidal chip whose longitudinal edges are covered with facets of opposite retouching. The left one is treated with a semi - circular permanent medium-modifying scaly dorsal retouch, forming a straight working edge with an even contour; and the distal zone of the right one is treated with a similar ventral one (Figs. 2, 11).

A group of products with traces of pseudo-retouching. It has 326 copies. (flint chips - 199 specimens, effusive rock chips-127 specimens), which is almost half of the total number of chips in the collection (47.7%, excluding technical chips). Among the chips with traces of mechanical damage, a subgroup of artifacts (33 copies) was identified with the most striking manifestations of destruction on the surfaces, which make it possible to formally attribute these products to tools.

"Knives with a butt" - 2 copies. In the role of "blanks" of pseudo-tools of this type, two elongated flakes of medium size acted. Shell chips are rectangular in one case, and triangular in the other. On one product, mechanical damage to the edges captures 1/2 of the perimeter, on the other-3/4. Pseudo-retouching, which creates a "knife blade", occupies one of the longitudinal edges. For both products, it is alternating, constant, jagged, and differs only in indicators of the angles of inclination: for one - vertical, for the other-steep (Fig. 3, 3).

"Tejak points" - 3 copies. This category includes two flint flakes and one leaf-shaped flake from effusive rock. On two products, pseudoretouch covers 3/4 of the perimeter, and on one - the entire one. In two cases, it is dorsal, intermittent, steep, and jagged; in one, it is alternating and constant. It is noteworthy that all three products have different degrees of roundness (weak, medium and strong, respectively) (Fig. 3, 4, 5). "End scrapers" - 5 copies. In four cases, the chips have the proportions of flakes, and only in one case the" blank " was a plate represented by a medial-distal fragment. For one product, the "processed" area occupies less than 1/2 of the perimeter, for three-3/4 and for one it covers the entire perimeter. On four cleavages, pseudoretouch is located alternately on the ventral and dorsal planes, in one case it is fixed only on the dorsal plane. On almost all products (4 copies), mechanical damage changes the morphology of the edge without visible interruptions. The pseudo-wilderness is steep and sheer. On one product, the damaged area is a "working edge" completely covered with teeth, on the other it has a flat surface.

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3. Items with traces of taphonomic destruction from the complex of layer 3 of the Kulbulak site (excavations in 2007-2010).

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contour, in two cases jagged and smooth sections alternate (Fig. 3, 1, 2). "Scrapers with perimeter retouching" - 4 copies. In these products, the "scraper blade" occupies the entire perimeter. On three artifacts, facets of pseudoretouch are fixed on the dorsal and ventral planes alternately (on one of them there are also small areas with bifacial "processing"), on the fourth - only on the dorsal plane. Morphological characteristics of mechanical damage on chips are not the same. In one case, the nature of the pseudo-retouching is intermittent, in the rest-constant. On one product, facets create a jagged contour of the "working edge", on the other, jagged and smooth sections alternate, and on two, the contour remains even. 3, 6, 7). The blade of the "side scraper" is defined on the site of one of the longitudinal edges of a massive trapezoidal chip made of effusive rock, where facets of the dorsal constant of a steep toothed pseudoretouch are fixed.

"Single longitudinal straight scrapers" - 3 copies. On two products, facets of pseudo-retouching occupy 3/4 of the perimeter of the workpiece, and on the third they are located only on one section of the longitudinal edge. In two cases, the negatives of mechanical fractures are fixed on the dorsal plane, in one case - on the dorsal and ventral planes alternately. Morphological characteristics of pseudoretouch differ on all three products: on one chip, it is jagged and steep, on the second - steep and not jagged, and on the third - jagged and steep (Figs. 3, 8). "Single longitudinal convex scrapers" - 3 copies. In one case, pseudo-retouching is localized on the non-stretched area (1/4 of the perimeter), in the other two, it is fixed along the entire perimeter. Its location on the planes differs for all products (on the dorsal, ventral, and alternately on both planes, respectively). In two cases, the pseudo-wilderness is steep, and in one case it is steep. In two products, its facets formed a jagged contour of the false working edge, while in one it remained even (Figs. 3, 9)." Single longitudinal concave scrape " was determined on a large angular flake of effusive rock. One longitudinal edge bears clear traces of mechanical damage in the form of deep facets of the dorsal permanent steep non-serrated pseudoretouch, forming a false working area. "Longitudinal-transverse scrapers" - 2 copies. Rectangular products made of flint and effusive rock. In one case, the facets of the pseudo-retouch occupy half of the perimeter, in the other - the entire one. The most noticeable mechanical damage, forming a false working edge, is localized at the distal ends of the chips and one of its longitudinal sides. A dorsal or alternating permanent vertical pseudoretude forms a jagged contour.

"Limas" is a massive elongated flint flake of triangular shape, covered along the entire perimeter with facets of dorsal intermittent steep (sometimes steep) non-serrated pseudoretouch, which strongly modifies the original shape of the workpiece. The product is heavily rounded (Fig. 3, 10).

"Dredged tools" - 7 copies. Mechanical damage on these products covers from a quarter to a full perimeter. In two cases, the changes affected only one of the planes, and in the other five, the pseudo - retouching was alternating. For four products, it is intermittent, and for three it is constant. The pseudo-wilderness is steep and sheer. Mechanical damage has significantly altered the original shape of the edges of the five chips, giving them a jagged outline. The two products alternate between areas of jagged and non-jagged pseudo-retouching. The main working elements-retouched anchors-are fixed on different planes (Fig. 3, 11-13).

"Spiked tools "(2 copies) - rectangular and oval-shaped chips made of effusive rock. The prevalence of mechanical damage is the same (3/4 of the perimeter). In both cases, the spike is highlighted by alternating intermittent jagged retouching. The only difference between the characteristics of false secondary processing of products is the different degree of beveling of facets: in one case, the retouching is steep, in the other - vertical.

Discussion

When studying the industry of layer 3, as well as when working with collections from other Middle Paleolithic layers of the monument included in sediments of mudflow-proluvial genesis, a large proportion of tools relative to both the total number of artifacts and chips is striking. In the materials of 2007-2010. they account for 51 % of all chips. In the collections obtained in 1962-1985, M. R. Kasymov noted a large proportion of tools relative to all finds, ranging from 26 % (layer 9) to 58 % (layer 12b). From our point of view, such a high indicator, if it is not a consequence of the functional peculiarity of the site (Rybin and Kolobova, 2005), may be a reason for a particularly wary attitude of the researcher to the tool set and the allocation of a group of pseudo-tools.

As the analysis of tools and pseudo-tools from layer 3 of the Kulbulak site showed, traces of taphonomic destruction of chips can easily be interpreted within a wide range of tool forms, and not only the jagged-notched group. However it was possible to identify certain differences between the characteristics of deliberate secondary processing and pseudo retouching: 1) pseudo-retouching, as opposed to

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it often forms a jagged working edge; 2) by its location on the planes of tools, it is in most cases alternating; 3) by the angle of inclination, pseudoretush is mainly defined as steep and steep; 4) often traces of destruction are spread over more than half of the perimeter of the chip. However, in our opinion, the revealed differences are not unique to pseudo-tools; among the products with deliberate secondary processing, there are also copies with a highly modifying steep retouching that forms a jagged contour.

In order to identify patterns that determine only traces of "natural" chip destruction, we checked a number of characteristics of the pseudo-tools themselves. First of all, the relationship between the degree of roundness of products and the degree of modification of their surface by retouching facets was considered (Fig. 4). The analysis revealed a direct relationship between these indicators: with an increase in the first one, the second one grows.

The relationship between the degree of modification of the product edges by retouching and the types of their contour was also studied (Fig. 5). The analysis showed that the higher the degree of modification, the more products with a jagged contour.

Checking the relationship between the edge contour, the nature of the pseudoretouch location and the degree of roundness of the chip demonstrated the predominance of the jagged contour in products of almost all degrees of roundness. The only exception is strongly rolled flint artefacts, where the wavy edge is slightly more common than the jagged edge (Fig. 6).

Analysis of the relationship between the contour of the edge formed by facets and their location on the planes of the product revealed the predominance of alternating pseudo-retouching in chips with a jagged edge. Calculations also showed that the products of all morphological groups are dominated by constant pseudo-retouching.

The illustrated dependences, in our opinion, indicate the natural nature of damage to the edges of the analyzed artifacts from layer 3 of the Kulbulak site, since the characteristics of any artificially created series of products can not depend on the post-position roundness, as well as the contour of the working edge on the degree of modifier.-

4. Dependence of the degree of surface modification by taphonomic retouching on the degree of roundness of chips. a - unmodifying; b-weakly modifying; c-medium modifying; d - strongly modifying.

Figure 5. Dependence of the types of edge contours formed by taphonomic retouching on the degree of modification by this retouching. a - non-serrated edge; b - jagged irregular; c - jagged.

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Figure 6. The dependence of the types of edge contours formed by taphonomic retouching on the degree of roundness of chips. For additional information, see Figure 5.

edge correction by retouching. Thus, in this industry, there are certain differences between intentional and taphonomic retouching, which requires a separate analysis of products, differentiated depending on the intentional or taphonomic nature of the modification of their edges.

When studying the collection, we also noticed the presence of products with different degrees of roundness. Two hypotheses can be proposed to explain this fact: 1) different types of raw materials have different resistance to geochemical and mechanical processes in the lithological layer; 2) the composition of the studied archaeological complex includes elements of different times. To verify the first assumption, the analysis of both primary fissure and the tool set included layer 3 material in two main categories of feedstock (flint and effusive rocks) (Derevyanko et al., 2008). The obtained results clearly showed that the degree of roughness of the product does not depend on the type of stone raw materials (Fig. 4-6), which, in our opinion, indicates that the components of the layer 3 complex are at different times.

Conclusion

In the last decade, the tendency to revise complexes that were previously assigned to the jagged Mousterian facies or to monuments of the Teiyak culture has become more pronounced [Kolesnik, 2003; Dibble at al., 2006]. The fact is that when transferring the proposed F. In the Middle Paleolithic period of Southern France, the division of the classification model into other territories, the selection of the toothed mousterian variant gradually lost clarity of definition. In the end, the only feature that united all the crenellated variants of the Middle Paleolithic of various territories was the predominance of various modifications of crenellated tools, often defined in a very wide morphological framework. Moreover, the origin of retouching on such "tools" was often not considered, and new ones were added to the characteristics of the selected toothed variants, often having nothing in common with the classic features of a toothed moustache.

Based on our analysis of the industry of layer 3 of the Kulbulak site, we can say that the main marking feature of the complex attributed to the jagged moustache - the jagged contour of products - is the result of natural processes associated with the transportation and accumulation of mudflow-proluvial deposits. In our opinion, this complex includes various materials captured by the mudflow during its movement towards the monument's territory. Accordingly, it cannot be a standard for identifying any cultural and technological options.

Taking into account that the stratigraphic column of the monument in the studied area represents a periodic alternation of mudflow activity phases, it is necessary to consider with a significant degree of skepticism all Middle Paleolithic complexes assigned to the jagged Moutier facies in the previous period of the site study. In our opinion, the identification of this facies based on the Kulbulak materials is unjustified, which requires a more general (Middle Paleolithic) structure. cultural attribution of the middle pack of cultural deposits of the monument. In this case, the identification of the toothed mousterian facies is also problematic for the entire territory of Central Asia, since it was the Middle Paleolithic complex of the Kulbulak site that was the reference one, which made it possible to distinguish this cultural division in the region under study.

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The article was submitted to the Editorial Board on 15.04.11.

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