11th-12th-century structures discovered at medieval settlement in Zhambyl region
Archaeologists have uncovered the remains of 11th-12th century structures and a collection of medieval artifacts during excavations at the Akzhar archaeological settlement in Kazakhstan’s Zhambyl region, Qazinform News Agency correspondent reports.
The medieval settlement is located west of Kurenbel village in the Zhualy district, between tributaries of the Akzhar River, where archaeological excavations are currently underway.
The research is being carried out as part of the scientific program Syr Darya and Karatau in Antiquity and the Middle Ages: Origins of Culture and its Transformation, implemented by the Science Committee of Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Science and Higher Education.
The expedition includes Ph.D. and leading researcher at the Margulan Institute of Archaeology Yeraly Akymbek, Ph.D. candidate and junior scientist Nesipbay Nurgali, and inspector of the Directorate for the Protection and Restoration of Historical and Cultural Monuments Zhandos Baitimbetov.
During the excavation, researchers uncovered the remains of structures built from mud bricks dating to the 11th and 12th centuries. They also recovered fragments of ceramics, iron and glass artifacts, stone tools, and bones of domesticated animals, which provide valuable evidence of everyday life at the settlement during different historical periods.
The animal remains are of particular interest to researchers, as they could offer important information about the economy, diet, and lifestyle of the settlement’s medieval inhabitants.
The archaeological finds will be analyzed and incorporated into future scientific research. Experts say the discoveries are expected to improve understanding of Akzhar’s role in the history of the region and its contribution to the development of medieval urban culture in the Karatau area.
Earlier, Qazinform reported unique Kangju-period artifacts had been unearthed in Turkistan region.