New Radiocarbon Dates from the Saka Time Settlements of Central Kazakhstan

Abstract

The features of the settlements of the Saka time in Central Kazakhstan are studied on the basis of materials from more than 70 objects that have been discovered to date. Along with the study of such important aspects as topography and planigraphy, house building, ceramic complex, determining the function of stone tools, etc., the dating of monuments using modern natural science methods is relevant. The article publishes for the frst time the results of a new series of radiocarbon analyzes that were carried out at the end of 2021 on bone samples from two settlements. A total of 7 new dates from the Tasmola settlements of Abylai and Kulzhan-I were obtained in the 14C Chronology Laboratory at Lanzhou University, China. All dates ft within the framework of the 8th – 6th centuries BC. It seems important that the upper limit of calibrated dates does not go beyond the middle of the 6th century BC. The new dates are consistent with the previously made archaeological dates of the settlements of Central Kazakhstan. According to materials of the study of the monuments of the Scythian-Saka era of Kazakhstan, Sayan-Altay, this milestone is the time of the end of the Early Scythian period in the ancient history of the steppe Eurasia. There are still not enough radiocarbon dates for the settlements of the Saka time in Central Kazakhstan. Therefore, it is planned to continue work in this direction.

Keywords

• archaeology
• central kazakhstan
• tasmola culture
• settlements
• radiocarbon analyses
• pottery of settlements
• early saka period