Karatau mountain range

Paleolithic sites and geomorphology of Karatau mountain range is part of the Tentative list of Kazakhstan in order to qualify for inclusion in the World Heritage List. This site (or parts of it) has already been inscribed under Western Tien-Shan WHS.

Paleolithic sites and geomorphology of Karatau mountain range is a mixed nomination. Part of it, the Karatau State Nature Reserve is already inscribed in “Western Tien-Shan” serial trans-national nomination. This TWHS extends further in a wider geographic area and includes a cultural criteria. The natural aspect features unique geological formation of a tectonic uplift to 1500 meters, with exclusive and extremely well-preserved fossils of the pleistocenic era. The cultural aspect features up to 300 paleolithic sites with stone tools assemblage (grey silex, black silex) and about 40 neolithic sites (Moustarian period).