Golden horde sites at the Aral Sea bottom: human adaptation to ecological changes in the region

Tazhekeyev A.A. ^a*, Alibay B. ^b, Zhusipnazar M.I. ^c

^a Research Center of Archaeology and Ethnography, Kyzylorda University named after
Korkyt Ata. Korkyt Ata University, 29a Aiteke Bi St., Kyzylorda, Republic of Kazakhstan
^b Institute of Archeology named after A. Kh. A.Kh. Margulan Institute of Archeology, 44
Dostyk Ave., Almaty, Republic of Kazakhstan
^c National Museum of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Republic of Kazakhstan, Astana, 54,
Tauelsizdik Ave.

*Corresponding author e-mail:  azik8484@mail.ru

Alibay B.: baukaalibai@gmail.com; Zhusipnazar M.: zhusypnazar@mail.ru; 

June 20, 2023

https://doi.org/10.29258/CAJWR/2023-R1.v9-1/130-148.ru

Research article

Abstract

The research described in the paper aimed to investigate the Golden Horde sites in the Aral Sea Basin and human adaptation to the region’s changing ecology. At present, several known settlements at the drained Aral Sea bottom – namely, Kerderi-1, Kerderi-2, and Aral-Asar – testify to the lake’s shallowness during XII-XV centuries. In August 2021, a group of archaeologists from Korkyt-Ata Kyzylorda University conducted a research mission to the location of the former settlement of Aral-Asar as part of the ESERA Project. The results of the study show that Aral-Asar existed for approx. 200 years as a full-fledged economic entity hosting cereal, ceramics and brick productions. In general, the data obtained indicate that environmental changes had led to the desolation of certain cities and development of new lands by humans in the Syr Darya River Delta, including these found at the drained bottom of the Aral Sea.

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For citation: Tazhekeyev, A., Alibay, B., Zhusipnazar, M. (2023) Zolotoordynskie pamjatniki na dne Aral’skogo morja: problemy adaptacii cheloveka k izmeneniju jekologii regional [Golden horde sites at the Aral Sea bottom: human adaptation to ecological changes in the region[. Central Asian Journal of Water Research,  9(1), 130-148. https://doi.org/10.29258/CAJWR/2023-R1.v9-1/130-148.ru [In Russian]

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