The history of archaeological study of monuments of the early Middle Ages in Central Kazakhstan

Abstract

Within the framework of this article, the history of the archaeological study of the monuments of the early Middle Ages in Central Kazakhstan is considered. According to modern data, the studied structures belong to four cultural complexes, indicating ethno-cultural diversity. They have some differences both in architecture and in the elements of funeral rituals. For the ancient Turkic type of monuments, the presence of quadrangular fences packed with large stones is characteristic. The burials often contain the remains of the dead,equipped with a variety of implements, mostly of a militaristic nature, as well as anatomically solid skeletons of horses laid on their “belly” and oriented in a western direction. Animals are accompanied by harness items (stirrups, girth buckles, bits, etc.). The circle of Kypchak monuments, in addition to statuary objects, includes the so-called sanctuaries — usually they are quadrangular fences built with masonry, in the inner space in which anthropomorphic statues are installed. Kimak burials have been studied mainly in the northeast of the Central Kazakhstan region. They contain burials of people accompanied by horses laid on the step of the grave or their skins. The accompanying inventory is comparable to the ancient Turkic ones. At the moment,the only ancient Kyrgyz burial has been investigated at the Kyzyl-Enbek burial ground. It contained the cremated remains of the deceased, accompanied by bronze cauldrons, iron broadswords, spearheads and arrowheads, and elements of laminar armor. Despite the fact that in recent years the volume of work on early medieval monuments has been increasing, and also acquiring a systematic character, the accumulated materials are still few in number