Archaeologists Study 1,500-Year-Old Settlement in Southern Kazakhstan

Archaeologists excavating an ancient settlement near the village of Birlik in the Turkistan Region have found the remains of a home, pottery fragments, iron tools and a traditional heating hearth dating back approximately 1,500 years, Orda.kz reports, citing 24KZ.

Researchers also identified the main sections of a medieval city: a citadel, a shahristan — the walled inner city — and a rabad, the outer residential and commercial district.

Drones and geographic information system technology helped archaeologists identify subtle features in the landscape and select areas for excavation.

The settlement has been known to researchers since 1962. Archaeologist Nikolai Podushkin previously conducted a partial study of the site and dated it to the eighth–12th centuries.

However, the latest excavations suggest that people lived there much earlier.

Our research shows that the city was already inhabited during the ancient Kangju period. It developed rapidly under the Karakhanids and continued to grow during the Golden Horde era,said Dosbol Baigunakov, a professor at Al-Farabi Kazakh National University.

One excavation uncovered the remains of living quarters, pottery, iron tools and a sandali — a traditional charcoal hearth used to heat homes.

In another part of the settlement, archaeologists found a defensive wall approximately one meter thick and the remains of a citadel tower.

One major question remains unanswered. Researchers believe a khan’s palace may once have stood at the site, but its location has not yet been confirmed.

The artifacts will be sent to a laboratory to establish their precise age and origin. Archaeologists plan to return to the settlement next year.

The southern Karatau area remains one of the region’s least studied archaeological zones. Until now, most major excavations have focused on Otyrar and Turkistan.

Original author: Raushan Korzhumbekova

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