Early Holocene human occupations in the western Tian Shan (Central Asia): Insights from the Alpysbaev Cave

The Early Holocene archaeology of Central Asia (particularly the Pamir-Alay and Western Tian Shan ranges) has recently revealed valuable insights regarding the patterns of human occupation and adaptations strategies in diverse landscapes. Until recently, the Kazakh portion of the western Tian Shan remained devoid of Neolithic sites, hindering the interpretation of human occupations in the region during the Early Holocene. In this paper, we present the initial results of the newly excavated site of Alpysbaev Cave located in Turkestan Province, southern Kazakhstan. Test excavations yielded several pits intersecting one another and containing disturbed human remains (three male adults and a neonate) as well as ceramic sherds, lithics, and a combustion feature. The lowermost lithostratigraphic unit contained human cranial fragments and faunal remains. Radiocarbon dating and the preliminary analysis of the finds suggest at least three occupation phases spanning from the early medieval to the Late Iron Age burials and the oldest layers dating to the Early Neolithic periods.