Ancient archaeological complexes of southern part of Khantau Mountains
Abstract
The paper introduces new materials about archaeological monuments of the paleometal period and early nomads of the Khantau Mountains into scientific circulation. This region is the main one in the communication processes among the ancient population of the Central Kazakhstan steppes and the foothill areas of all North Tien Shan and Jetysu in particular. The southwestern slopes and the southern part of the Khantau Mountains were explored by the expedition of Archaeology Institute named after A.Kh. Margulan in 2017–2018, where series of ancient settlements, burial grounds and petroglyphs of the Bronze Age and the Early Iron Age were discovered. The materials of archaeological complex Kojabala show patterns of settlements location and burial grounds, which reflect the tradition of economic and cultural development of the region in Ancient times. We can associate the origin and existence of Kojabala-I burial with the process of Andronovo community Fedorovsky tribal groups migration from Central Kazakhstan in the XV and at the turn of the XIV–XIII centuries BC. The Bronze Age Kojabala tract materials analysis let us to assume, that economic and ethno-cultural intercourses of the population of Central Kazakhstan and Jetysu in this period were close. Such conclusion has perspective direction for further researches.