Pour une nouvelle étude de la culture néolithique de Kel'teminar, Ouzbékistan

International audienceThe Neolithic culture of Kel'teminar (7th/6th-4 th/3rd mill, Uzbekistan), located close to the Aral Sea on a geographic and cultural crossroads between steppe and oasis in Central Asia, was discovered in 1939 and studied up to the 1970's by Soviet archaeologists. Recent field research conducted in Uzbekistan (Polish-Uzbek Archaeological Mission) proves that the economy was based on cattle and perhaps camel breeding. A thorough investigation o/Kel'teminar culture allows us to propose new characterizations, assumptions and lines of study in several spheres (chronology, way of life, material culture, geographic borders, and origins). Thus, during the three chronological phases that are distinguished, we note the development of the major features of the tradition's major features : blade and microblade production using indirect percussion and pressure techniques, "horned" trapezes, asymmetrical triangles, shouldered arrowheads and denticulated tools, hand-made pottery (rough, round-and conical-based, various open shapes) with incised or stamped decoration and a rich bone industry adapted to fishing. As a possible result of contacts with neighboring Bronze Age steppes cultures, the last chronological phase could be called Eneolithic. According to this study, the Kel'teminar culture first appeared in the regions of Zeravshan and Ljavljakan, and then in the region of Akchadaria, where it developed new features related to the farmers of South Turkmenistan. In spite of a lack of data (especially dating), it is possible to distinguish regional variants of the Kel'teminar culture in Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan. Finally, we propose a preliminary study about the origin of this culture, taking into consideration Mesolithic cultures from Central Asia, Russia, the Caucasus and the Crimea. For the moment, we privilege the assumption of an origin that is local (Zeravshan or Ljavljakan) but in touch with the Trans-Ural region or even the Volga-Ural region