UPPER PALEOLITHIC STONE INDUSTRY OF SHULGAN-TASH (KAPOVA CAVE)
The purpose of this work is to establish the cultural affiliation of the people who visited the Shulgan-Tash (Kapova) cave during the Upper Paleolithic. The excavations carried out in the cave have shown that the Upper Paleolithic deposits are multilayered. The cultic nature of the site exerted an influence on the character of its stone industry. The industry of the inner parts of the cave is characterized by an incomplete production cycle and almost complete absence of cores. The exploitation of quartzite pebbles combines with the rarity of objects made of flint and jasper. The analysis of materials from different cultural layers reveals the existence of a single cultural tradition based on the preponderant use of limestone and calcite as raw materials for obtaining blanks.