SESSION 3 – Stone tool production and processing techniques
Raw material procurement and its consequences for knapping technology in the Middle Palaeolithic site of Katta Sai, western Tian Shan piedmonts (Uzbekistan)

Excavations at Katta Sai site started in 2013 by a Polish-Russian-Uzbec research group allowed to identify a new variant of human adaptation in the regional Middle Paleolithic.
As the raw material, the river pebbles brought from the nearby river gorges were used. Among the raw material, mainly effusive rocks of aphanitic and porphyritic textures were present. These rocks are common in alluvial sediments, but are not dominating (phaneritic rocks dominate there), what indicates the intentional selection of raw material, oriented towards felsic aphanites. A minor amount of artifacts are made of exotic rocks, such as silicites, metamorphic rocks and jasper. What is particularly interesting in the Katta Sai assemblage is that the use of rounded river pebbles restricted the manufacturing process heavily.
 The preliminary analyses shown that we dealing with here a predetermined flake technology, focused on obtaining thin flakes or even blades. However, the manufacturing scheme was adjusted to the poor quality raw material. The use of a very hard, poorly silicified rock, did not allow for a sequence of small, precise removals. In consequence the predetermination of the blanks’ shape had to be designed more by a careful intensive preparation of a striking surface.