Institute of Archaeology named after A.Kh.Margulan

The Dzhungar Mountains in northern Tien Shan, Kazakhstan, are part of the Inner Asian Mountain Corridor, which extends from the Hindu Kush to the Altai. This corridor is significant for human migration and cultural exchange due to its water availability and ecological diversity. The Dzhungar Mountains contain several Bronze Age sites, including the Dali settlement complex and an adjacent circular megalithic structure several meters in diameter. Megaliths in Central Inner Asia are rare, undated, and understudied, leaving their chronological relationship to the Bronze Age unclear.Infrared Stimulated Luminescence rock surface burial dating (IRSL RSbD) is a new tool in quaternary geochronology and allows determining the burial age of rock surfaces since their last exposure to sunlight. The method is based on the fact that, over time, rock surfaces can store energy in the crystal lattice of rock-building minerals, such as feldspar, due to naturally occurring radiation. This energy can be read out as luminescence signal upon infrared stimulation under laboratory conditions and burial ages calculated. For dating the Dali megalith structure, we used infrared-stimulated luminescence of feldspar from the buried face of the granitic megalith boulders and complemented this with single-grain OSL dating of the sediment beneath the boulders. This combined dating approach helps to establish a chronological framework for the Dali megalithic structure and assess its relationship to the Bronze Age timeline of the Inner Asian Mountain Corridor.

This article discusses a unique find discovered by the excavations at the trade and craft settlement of Karakabak (Mangyshlak peninsula, Kazakhstan). This is a lead seal with a Greek block monogram within a border of leaves and a cross above on the front side. The images of the kind are the earliest monuments of Byzantine sigillography. From the parallels in possessions there are reasons to date the find in question to the sixth century, the final stage of the settlement of Karakabak. According to the analogies given in the article, the monogram reads as the name “Marinos / Marianos / Maurianos” with the position eparchos (head of a city’s administration). The discovery of an Early Byzantine lead seal on the territory of the trade and craft center of Karakabak is an outstanding of Byzantine expansion into the Aral–Caspian region. The coin finds and typical jewellery found on Karakabak confirm the said interpretation. Apparently, in the sixth century this emporium linked Byzantine Bosporos, Cherson, the Caucasus, and the Central Asian oases, bypassing the political and commercial claims of Sassanid Iran. The seal of eparchos from Karakabak may indicate the direct or indirect participation of representatives of the Byzantine authorities in regulating the internal life of the settlement and the surrounding areas.

Because of limited availability of ancient genomes, the genetic history of prehistoric Inner Asian hunter-gatherers remains incomplete, especially for eastern Kazakhstan where the Eurasian Steppe meets mountain forests of Inner Asia. Here we report genome-wide data of two Early Neolithic (EN) hunter-gatherers and 19 Middle-Late Bronze Age (MLBA) pastoralists, from the site of Koken in the Upper Irtysh River region in eastern Kazakhstan. We find that the two EN individuals differed in their genetic profiles and yet were second-degree relatives. They were genetically most similar to subsequent Neolithic individuals in the Irtysh region, while contemporaneous hunter-gatherers from the Tobol-Ishim and Upper Ob River regions had distinct genetic profiles, likely influenced by riverine geography. The Koken MLBA individuals were genetically similar to other MLBA steppe pastoralists, while genetic outliers provide evidence of two distinct trajectories of admixture with local hunter-gatherer populations. These findings illuminate the dynamic population structure of Inner Asian hunter-gatherers and their genetic legacy in subsequent pastoralist populations.

Rock surface alterations due to weathering have often been used by archaeologists for creating chronologies, studying climatic conditions, and authenticating artifacts. Rock surface alterations are also important for identifying recycled artifacts through the presence of "double patina." In the surface archaeological deposits at Semizbugu (Saryarqa, Kazakhstan), rock surface weathering stages are used to chronologically categorize stone tool artifacts based on perceived associations between weathering characteristics and typology. Despite a long history of studying rock surface weathering in geological sciences, the formation of rock coatings on stone tool artifacts is a largely misunderstood process due to its complexity and multi-factored formation process. Given the consistent use of one raw material at Semizbugu, we test for differences in rock coating morphologies, elemental composition, and surface roughness between macroscopically identified weathering stages. Based on our analyses, we identify multiple processes involved in artifact weathering at Semizbugu. We suggest that artifacts at Semizbugu may be relatively chronologically ordered based on a combined assessment of decreased surface roughness and increased surface pitting, both of which are likely related to degree of wind abrasion and dissolution of the artifact surface. We also recommend against using rock varnish color for chronological assessment of artifacts at Semizbugu given the destructive effects of abrasion and the irregularities of varnish formation in semi-arid contexts. Additionally, we suggest this model be validated with rock surface exposure dating via optically stimulated luminescence (OSL-surf). Furthermore, rock surface exposure OSL dating could give us insight into the time-depth between use and recycling events in a more meaningful way than trying to compare differential artifact surface weathering across "double patina."

A new species of the genus Euxoa Hübner, [1821], E. criceta sp. n. is described from the Zaisan Depression in East Kazakhstan belonging to the Irtysh River basin. The new species is most similar to E. triaena Kozhantschikov, 1929 occurring in West Kazakhstan and the Сaspian Depression. Adults as well as male and female genitalia are illustrated.

The article tells about the study history of the medieval Talgar settlement and settlements in the locality. If we pay attention to the sources the first researchers and travelers of the city of Talkhiz report that the territory of the city was large. We are also talking about settlements that are part of the territory of this settlement, but have not yet been explored. Nevertheless, the Talgar settlement, which has been studied for more than one hundred and fifty years, undoubtedly has a special significance as a historical monument. Until now, valuable objects found during excavations are stored in many museums and museums-reserves of the country. Among the finds you can see some imported products. This suggests that the medieval settlement of Talgar was a center of artisans and jewelers, where international trade was well developed. One can see how much influence external relations had on the development of this settlement located along the Great Silk Road.Talgar is one of the most important monuments among the historical and cultural sites of Semirechye. However, the article says that some localities still need to be investigated. Талгарын археологийн дурсгалууд Товчлол. Уг нийтлэлд Талгарын дундад зууны үеийн суурин болон тус нутгийн сууринг судалсан түүхийн тухай өгүүлнэ. Судалгаа, тоо баримтад анхаарлаа хандуулбал Талхиз жотын анхны хайгуулчид, аялагчид тус хотын нутаг дэвсгэр их байсныг илтгэдэг. Мөн энэ суурингийн нутаг дэвсгэрт багтсан боловч судлагдаагүй суурин газруудын тухай ярьж байна. Гэвч зуун тавин жил судлагдсан Талгар суурин түүхэн дурсгалт газрын хувьд онцгой ач холбогдолтой, байр суурь эзэлдэг нь дамжиггүй. Өнөөг хүртэл малтлагын явцад олдсон үнэт эд зүйлс тус улсын олон музей, музей нөөцөд хадгалагдаж байна. Олдворуудын дунд та импортын зүйлсийг харж болно. Энэ нь дундад зууны үеийн Талгар суурин нь олон улсын худалдаа сайн хөгжсөн гар урчууд, үнэт эдлэлийн холбоодын төв байсан болохыг харуулж байна. Их торгоны зам дагуу орших суурингийн хөгжилд гадаад харилцаа ямар их нөлөө үзүүлсэнийг харж болно. Талгар бол Жетысу дахь түүх, соёлын өвийн хамгийн чухал дурсгалуудын нэг юм. Гэсэн хэдий ч зарим суурин газарт судалгаа хийх шаардлагатай хэвээр байгааг үг нийтлэлд дурджээ. Түлхүүр үг. Талхиз, эртний суурин, худалдаа, судлаач, археологи, дундад зууны, олдвор, олон улсын, музей

Three Central Asian species of the genus Catocala Schrank, 1802, Catocala neglecta Staudinger, 1888, Catocala repudiata Staudinger, 1888, and Catocala desiderata Staudinger, 1888 are found in the valley of the upper Irtysh River in the east of the Zaisan Depression, East Kazakhstan. Catocala neglecta is also found in the northern spurs of the Saur Mountains. Catocala repudiata Staudinger, 1888 is reported from Mongolia (Khovd Aimak) for the first time. The new distribution data represent the northernmost known localities of all three species. Adults and habitats are illustrated, and distribution maps are provided.

The article considers the fortification of the Balanda I fortress, which is located at the ancient Syr Darya delta, where the agricultural Chirikrabat archaeological culture was widespread in the second half of the I millennium BC. Balanda Fortress is the center of a small agricultural oasis of the IV+II centuries BC, which was based on the main canal, between the channels of the Inkardarya and Zhanadarya lower reaches of the Syr Darya, as a whole. The center of the settlement and the entire oasis was the fortified manor-fortress of Balanda. During the field works of Chirikrabat expedition in 2007-2014, it was possible to identify and partially reconstruct the constructions of defense. Based on the data obtained, it is possible to distinguish at least 2 main periods of the construction of fortress walls, which, in turn, are divided into stages. The system of fortification revealed during the excavations of Balanda I seems to be quite archaic. The corners were protected by semicircular towers, which were a solid monolith of brickwork on a base-a plinth made of dense clay-pakhsa, to which a pakhsa platform with a width of 1.3-1.4 m and a height of no more than 1 m was attached from the inside. The long walls of the fortress were also flanked by semicircular towers. The walls and the protruding towers were cut with arrow-shaped loopholes. Based on archaeological data, the Balanda Fortress was a large fundamental building