Study of Archaeological Monuments of the Aktobe Region

The study of archaeological monuments in the Aktobe region originated in the early period, beginning with the first records left by Russian scholars who visited our land. One of the first to provide new data on archaeological monuments was P.I. Rychkov, a prominent 18th-century scientist and a corresponding member of the Russian Academy of Sciences. In his work "Topography of the Orenburg Governorate," while describing the archaeological monuments of the Orenburg area, he also touches upon those in West Kazakhstan (Rychkov, 1762, pp. 58-60).

Later, E. Eversmann visited the territory of Western Kazakhstan. In his work "Eduard Eversmann's Journey from Orenburg to Bukhara in the Summer of 1820," he called the archaeological objects he observed "ancient tombs" (Castagné, 2007, pp. 103-105).

The first focused archaeological excavations of monuments in the Aktobe region began in the last quarter of the 19th and early 20th centuries. The establishment of the Orenburg Scientific Archival Commission (OSAC), tasked with studying the region's ancient relics, had a significant positive impact on all this work.

In 1884 and 1887–1888, members of the Orenburg Scientific Archival Commission (OSAC), F.D. Nefedov and K.A. Fisher, conducted excavations dedicated to studying the monuments of the early Saka-Sauromatian nomads. They studied several kurgans from the 5th-4th centuries BC, located on the banks of the Ilek and Teris Butak rivers in the western border districts of the Aktobe region. (Smirnov, 1975, p. 6; Rodionov, 1996, pp. 5-8). At the beginning of the 20th century (1904, 1906, 1909), I.A. Castagné carried out small-scale excavations of monuments in the Kargaly River valley (a right tributary of the Ilek River) in the city of Aktobe.

They excavated more than ten kurgans, of which the burial rites and funerary jewelry of some belonged to the Early Iron Age (Castagné, 2007, pp. 118-123). In addition, there is information about other archaeological artifacts from the Early Iron Age found during this time. The 19th issue of the "Trudy" publication reports the discovery of stone sculptures in the second aul of the Embi-Temir district. According to Venediktov's statement, a stone statue of a woman was broken when it was found; it was described as being made of smooth sandstone, with its facial features, chest, and neck ornament depicted. In Venediktov's opinion, the stone sculptures are located in the territory of Mugalzhar station (Trudy Orenburgskoy uchenoy arkhivnoy komissii [Works of the Orenburg Scientific Archival Commission], 1907, pp. 56-57).

Thus, the research conducted up to the beginning of the 20th century can be characterized as the initial stage of development for archaeological science in the pre-revolutionary Aktobe region.

The study of monuments in the Aktobe region, which was halted during the revolution and civil war period, resumed in the 1920s.

In 1926, an anthropological detachment of the USSR Academy of Sciences, led by Gryaznov and Komorov, began to study archaeological monuments. A commission was established to study the union and autonomous republics.

The main work was directed at registering small archaeological sites with burial mounds.

The expedition route passed through the northern territory of the region (Martuk and Kargaly districts), along the southern tributaries of the Ural River: Ebeyti, Kiily Borte, Kergeldi, Alimbet, Terkele, and others.

As a result, 28 monuments from various periods were registered. M.P. Gryaznov divided the discovered monuments into 4 types: sand mounds, stone mounds, earthen mounds enclosed by stone, and ring-shaped flat graves.

In the Oralsai tract (on the left bank of the Terekti River), in the burial ground of the same name, four types of early nomad burials from the Bronze Age were studied. (Gryaznov, 1927, pp. 172, 178–183).

Based on burial rituals and artifacts, the period is presumed to be the Iron Age, from the 8th to the 4th centuries BCE. (Smirnov, Petrenko, 1963, p. 16).

In the 1920s and 1930s, geological exploration work was carried out in the territory in connection with the state's economic development.

As a result of exploration work in the Temir and Mugalzhar districts, geologists B. Borneman, I. Larin, I. Gerasimov, and V. Samodurov discovered various monuments dating from the Neolithic to the Early Iron Age. Pottery, stone weapons, and 28 bronze arrowheads were submitted to the USSR Academy of Sciences' Institute of Anthropology and Ethnography. (Kuzmina, 1959, pp. 3-5).

During these years, B.N. Grakov worked in the territory of the region. In 1930, he led a reconnaissance expedition along the banks of the Ural and Or rivers.

According to the Aktobe local historian V.V. Rodionov, 78 monuments belonging to various eras were recorded during the expedition (Rodionov, 1996, p. 14). That same year, four burial mounds from the Early Iron Age were studied. In the village of Kumsai, two kurgans located on the Shiely River were excavated. Based on the bronze arrowheads and molded pottery found, the kurgans are dated to the 5th century BC (Smirnov, 1964, pp. 55-56). In the same year, B.N. Grakov excavated kurgans located 800 m south of the village of Matveevka, on the right bank of the Oysylkara River.

In the post-war years, research on the monuments of the Aktobe region was carried out periodically.

Between 1955 and 1960, the Institute of History and Culture of the USSR Academy of Sciences conducted work. The West Kazakhstan detachment was led by V.S. Sorokin. In its first years, the expedition conducted four reconnaissance routes covering the northern and central territories of the Aktobe region.

A burial dating to the 6th–5th and 2nd–1st centuries BCE was discovered during V.S. Sorokin's research in barrows 2-4 of the Akzhar mound complex, located 2.3 km northwest of the Kargaly and Teris-Butak rivers near the city of Aktobe. (Sorokin, 1955). An expedition from the Institute for the History of Material Culture studied monuments in the upper and middle reaches of the Emba River. In 1958, under the direction of E.E. Kuzmina, the registration of monuments began near the village of Mikhailovka (now Karakol village). The route then proceeded towards the Kumzhargan and Kokzhide sands in the Emba district. After surveying these areas, the detachment descended from Shengelshi village northeast to Zhuryn village, and from the Temir district along the right bank of the Emba River to Ashchysai (southwest of Zharkamys village). As a result, 19 monuments from various periods were found, including mound complexes and solitary mounds, as well as stone tools from 2 sites and one mud-brick mausoleum (Kuzmina, 1958).

Archaeological research, which had been interrupted, resumed in the Aktobe region in the 1970s. One of the notable events in the history of the development of Aktobe archaeology was the study of monuments in a critical state of preservation by the Institute of History, Archaeology, and Ethnography of the Kazakh SSR Academy of Sciences. The 1970s and 1980s can also be characterized as the period of development and formation of the archaeological school.

In 1973-74 and 1976, the Aktobe Regional Museum of Local Lore and the Karatau detachment of the South Kazakhstan Comprehensive Expedition of the aforementioned institute conducted a joint expedition in the territory of the Aktobe region. The work was mainly conducted on monuments near the Ilek River (Syntas, Besoba, Zhalgyzoba, Kumissay, etc.).

In 1974, on the Usup River, west of the Katyn Adyr gorge, two controversial "eared" monuments of the Kazakh society, Usup I and II, were studied (Kadyrbaev, Kurmankulov, 1976, 1977, 1978). Later, in 1981-1982, the Central Kazakhstan Expedition, led by M.K. Kadyrbaev, carried out excavations of ancient monuments.

A research team from the Aktobe region, led by Zh.K. Kurmankulov, T.I. Kulik, and V.I. Zaitov, conducted excavations at the Nagornensk burial ground in connection with construction and water supply system projects.

Over two seasons, mounds 1-6, 8-9 (1981) and 7, 10-11 (1982) were excavated.

During the excavation of the Nagorninsk burial ground, much interesting data was discovered about the culture, social status, and material level of the nomadic people located along the Ilek River (Kadyrbaev, 1984, pp. 84-93; Kadyrbaev, Kurmankulov, Kulik, 1982).

Geologists deserve special mention in the development of local archaeology. Starting in the 1970s and 1980s, geological exploration expeditions resulted in the discovery of numerous archaeological and ethnographic monuments (mausoleums, stone mounds, settlements, petroglyphs, etc.) throughout the entire region.

This year, V.V. Rodionov, R.A. Segedin, V.F. Korobkov, and S.G. Greshner handed over to the Aktobe Regional Museum of Local Lore artifacts dating from the Stone Age to the Middle Ages. Additionally, manuscript reports containing brief descriptions and diagrams of the discovered archaeological monuments were submitted. (Segedin, 1976a; 1976b; 1977; 1981; Tkachev, Segedin, Greshner, 1996).

In 1975, V.V. Rodionov organized a team under the regional museum and, based on suggestions from the local population, began examining monuments. During his years of service at the Museum of Local Lore, the collection of archaeological artifacts was systematized. In those years, V.V. Rodionov personally conducted field archaeological surveys, excavated monuments from various periods, and paid close attention to monuments in a state of emergency. Thus, in 1975-76, he investigated the "Oqytý alańy" (Training Ground) burial site, the Jaman Qargaly-I cemetery, and the Jaman Qargaly settlement. He also studied the fortified burial site at the Imangazy Karasu settlement near the city of Aktobe. During the excavation, it was noted that the burial mounds of the site had been plowed over as they were under a crop field. The remains of early nomads were found in the three kurgans excavated by V.V. Rodionov. In 1977, V.V. Rodionov conducted excavations of two kurgans at the Besoba burial site, two kurgans at the Shpaki-II burial site, and three kurgans at the Imangazy Karasu burial site (Petrov, Rodionov, 1976; 1977, 1978).

In 1984, the archaeological detachment of the regional museum of local lore was led by S.Y. Gutsalov. During his years of service, S.Y. Gutsalov, together with V.V. Radionov, studied the monuments of Bolgarka 1 and 2, Kyzylzhar, Zhaman-Kargaly-II, and Vostochno-Kurayly-II and III (Gutsalov, Rodionov, 1984; 1985; 1986). It should be noted that S.Y. Gutsalov continued the research work of V.V. Radionov (1913-1986). Both researchers made significant contributions to teaching the region's history by involving the younger generation—schoolchildren, pioneers, and college students from the city of Aktobe—in excavation work. Later, S.Y. Gutsalov organized a "Young Archaeologist" club at the regional museum. In turn, V.V. Radionov mentored S.Y. Gutsalov, training him to become a field archaeologist.

A major turning point in the study of the region's archaeology was the opening of the Faculty of History at the Pedagogical Institute in 1985. From this point on, archaeology began to be studied at the higher education level. Field archaeological practice trained many historians in the Aktobe region, including R.A. Beknazarov, S.Y. Vinogradov, V.V. Tkachev, A.A. Bisembayev, and others. The archaeological practice of the Aktobe Pedagogical Institute began in 1986 under the leadership of S.Y. Gutsalov. Within a short period, he conducted excavations at the Atpa, Tselinny I, Vostochno-Kuraily I, Tanabergen II, and Orkash I burial sites. In addition, hundreds of monuments were identified during the archaeological expeditions (Gutsalov, 2004, p. 9).

In the early 1990s, the scope of excavation work decreased due to a reduction in allocated funds. In the Aktobe region between 1991 and 1996, the sites of Tanabergen II, Orkash-I, Sarytau-I, Shanshar, Kargaly I and II, Akzhar II-III, Sadovyi V-VI, Kenzhibike II, and others were studied.

From 1997 to 2000, research work was conducted in the northern parts of the region (the Ural River valley). Burials dating from the Bronze Age to the Middle Ages were excavated in the Saltak I-II and Kensayran burial grounds. (Bisembayev, Gutsalov, 1998; Gutsalov, Bisembayev, 2002).

At the beginning of the 21st century, excavations nearly came to a halt. In 2001, excavation work was carried out at the Basshiyli burial ground in the Mugalzhar district.

In 2004, a team from the A.Kh. Margulan Institute of Archaeology, led by Zh.E. Smailov, studied two burial grounds in the oil-producing territory of the Zhem River valley. These were the Karatobe I and II burial grounds, located on a plateau on the left bank of the Zhem River, southeast of the village of Zharkamys. Seven kurgans were excavated from the two burial grounds. Most of them date to the second half of the 1st millennium BC, one of the others to the Late Sarmatian period, and another to the Middle Ages. (Smailov, Knisarin, 2005a).

The next burial sites studied were the Mortyk I and IV monuments, located north of the Kokzhide sands on the right bank of the Zhem River. Both sites contain burials from various periods, with the majority belonging to the Prokhorov culture. The burial pits are rectangular and oval in shape. The deceased were laid on their backs with their heads oriented to the south. A variety of artifacts were found, including weapons, household items, and ritual objects (swords, daggers, arrowheads, round-bottomed vessels, bone spoons, sacrificial plates, etc.) (Smailov, Knisarin, 2005).

The opening of the Regional Center for History, Ethnography, and Archaeology in 2006 was a significant event in the academic life of the Aktobe region. The establishment of this center can be considered a new stage in the study of the region's history.

The research focus of the Regional Archaeological Center was the organization and study of historical and cultural heritage sites. The center's initial research began with the excavation of the Gurildek burial ground, located in an intermontane valley south of the Ural River (Kargaly district, Velikhovka village).

The Archaeological Center has conducted joint scientific research through agreements with the A.Kh. Margulan Institute of Archaeology in Astana, the German Archaeological Institute, the Chelyabinsk Scientific Center, the Orsk Humanitarian-Technological Institute, Orenburg State University, and the Bashkir Institute of History, Language, and Literature.

To date, the Archaeology Center has organized dozens of archaeological and ethnographic expeditions in the Aktobe region to study the history and culture of people who lived in ancient times. These include expeditions to sites such as Besoba, Tortoba, Kumsay, Eshkikirgan, Sapibulak, and Segizsay, which have become part of Kazakhstan's scientific heritage. Research scientists from all over Kazakhstan, as well as from Germany, Georgia, Hungary, and Russia, participated in these expeditions.

The Center for History, Ethnography, and Archaeology of the Aktobe region has conducted studies in the territories of the Kargaly, Martuk, Kobda, Alga, Oyil, and other districts. As a result, thousands of archaeological monuments dating from the Stone Age to the Middle Ages were discovered.

Following this multifaceted and labor-intensive work, the historical and cultural heritage began to be documented in published scientific works. In this area, more than 50 monographs have been published. Among these, the special author's edition by V.V. Tkachev, "The Steppes of the Southern Urals and Western Kazakhstan at the Turn of the Middle and Late Bronze Ages" (Aktobe, 2007), is particularly noteworthy.

In 2008, the large-scale scientific book "Classification and Periodization of Monuments of the Andronovo Cultural Community" by E.E. Kuzmin (Aktobe, 2008) was published, followed by A.A. Bisembayev's "The Burial Rite of Medieval Nomads of Western Kazakhstan" (Aktobe, 2011).

Since 2013, following the closure of the Aktobe Regional Center for History, Ethnography, and Archaeology, this research work has been undertaken by the Aktobe Regional Museum of Local History.

In 2013-2015, the Aktobe Regional Museum of Local Lore, under the direction of A.A. Bisembayev, studied the 1st kurgan of the Eshki-Kyrgan burial ground, the Kokzhide 4 burial ground, the Shilisay burial ground, Kumsay, and others.

From 2013 to 2015, research was conducted by staff from the branch of the A. Margulan Archaeological Research Institute, led by A. Ongar, to study the nomadic burial complex along the Ilek River in the Kobda district of the Aktobe region. Excavations were carried out at the 1st kurgan of the Tortoba burial ground. Within the unlooted kurgans, the deceased were laid on their backs with their heads oriented to the west and east.