|
Description:
The site of Eshkeolmes is situated along the Koksu river valley
30 km to the south of Taldykorgan, 250 km north-east of Almaty.
The Koksu valley is rich in ecological niches and is covered by
several types of surface monuments such as the Bronze, Early Iron
and Turkic cemeteries and kurgans, villages, mining and melting
structures, stone circles, petroglyphs, cup-marks, steles, and
proto-sculptures. Because of the abundance and the authenticity
of the remains, it represents one of the most important Bronze
Age (1400-800 B.C.) and Early Nomadic (800-200 B.C.) archaeological
complexes of Semirechie. During the summer 2003, the earliest
Bronze Age agrarian settlement of Semirechie has been found in
the alluvial terraces of the river Koksu. It will give more information
on the mixed farming societies of the region during the Late Bronze
and Iron Age.
An interdisciplinary team of geologists and archaeologists
will coordinate the 2004 season. It will complete the surface
exploration and GIS documentation, continue the record of the
petroglyphs, excavations of Bronze and Iron Age houses (Talapty
II and Kuigan II) and cemeteries. Volunteers will learn the methods
currently used in steppe archaeology through practical fieldwork,
survey, and tours in one of the most beautiful mountainous regions
of Semirechie. Volunteers should bring a sleeping bag, a mat,
a sweater, some strong shoes, and a flashlight. Further tours
can be organized at the end of the fieldwork.
Period(s) of occupation:
Bronze - Iron Ages
Minimum age:
18 years old
Room and Board arrangements:
Field camp in tents
Cost: $250 per week
Academic credit:
Offered by: State Institute for Scientific Research and Planning
on the Monuments of Material Culture (Ministry of Culture, Kazakhstan)
Bibliography:
Mariachev A. N. and Rogozhinskii A.E, Naskalnie izobrazheniya
v gorakh Eshkiolmes. Almaty-Kazakhstan, 1991.
Goriachev A. A. and Mariachev A. N., "Nouveaux
sites du Bronze recent au Semirechie KZ." Paleorient . 24/1.
Paris, 1998.
Masson V.M., Harmatta J., Askarov A., "Dawn
of civilization: earliest times to 700 BC." History of Civilizations
of Central Asia (UNESCO). 1992.
top
|
