The Gorny Altai lithic industry suggests that at the final stage of the Middle Paleolithic (60–50 ka BP) and Middle to Upper Paleolithic transition period, two incipient evolutionary trends are traceable – Kara-Bom and Karakol (Fig. 27, 28, 29, 30). Most probably, the noted industrial variability was caused by formation of different adaptive strategies. The Kara-Bom site is located at an elevation of 1100 m asl, and Ust-Karakol and Denisova cave – 680 m asl (Fig. 31). Both originated on the basis of a single Middle Paleolithic culture. Between 50 and 40 ka BP, both trends evolved into two respective variants of the early Upper Paleolithic industry. Thus, the stratified sites in Gorny Altai, clustering in a relatively small area, offer a unique chance to trace the evolution from the Middle to the Upper Paleolithic.
Approximately 50 ka BP, Upper Paleolithic elements such as subprismatic and rotating cores, pressure technique (soft hammers were utilized in earlier time periods), carenoid forms, end-scrapers of various modifications, burins, borers, etc. appeared in the Altai.
