The
Karatau Mountains are located in southern
Kazakhstan just north of the
Syrdaria River, and they display a unique geomorphology. The name Karatau means
Black Mountain in the Kazakh language. The mountains, aside from housing a varied geology, contain numerous stone archaeological sites that represent the many stages of cultural evolution from the early
Paleolithic Age (1 million BP) to the
Neolithic Age (6500 BP).