The construction history of the medieval settlement of Kyzylkala (Mangystau) and the issues of the chronology
Astafiev A.
2024Margulan Institute of Archaeology
Kazakhstan Archeology
2024#2024Issue 3151 - 174 pp.
The article publishes the results of an archaeological study of the Kyzylkala settlement, the only medieval urban-type archaeological monument present on the territory of Mangystau. The appearance of the fortified settlement here was associated with the functioning of the trade route connecting Khorezm with the steppe region of Western Kazakhstan, where Kyzylkala was used as a transit point. The monument was erected on a flattened elevation in the central part of a rocky ridge. It is represented by the ruined remains of a powerful stone fortress wall, a citadel, a necropolis, and an extensive water supply system. The perimeter of the fortress is surrounded by numerous estates. The total area of the complex, according to estimates, is over 70 hectares. Archaeological excavations were carried out to study the construction history of the monument and determine its chronological framework. As a result, according to preliminary data, five construction horizons were identified at the settlement, which in turn are divided into nine periods, which is probably linked to the causes of an event-chronological nature. It was established that the initial construction of the fortress wall, distinguished by its design features, as well as the parameters of the pakhsa and adobe masonry, was carried out according to the construction principles and traditions of the Khorezm masters. Based on the identification of the features of the application of architectural standards and norms of that time, the analysis of the ceramic complex, as well as the stratified division of the construction horizons, a preliminary attempt is made to determine the relative chronological benchmarks of the construction history of the monument. According to them, the Kyzylkala settlement is dated within the last third or quarter of the 10th-13th centuries.
adobe masonry , archeology , chronology , construction horizons , fortress , Kyzylkala settlement , Mangistau region , Middle Ages , pakhsa , residential buildings
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Margulan Institute of Archaeology, Aktau, Almaty, Kazakhstan
Margulan Institute of Archaeology
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