Archaeological Works in the Serektas Area
01 Aug 2024
From June 1 to June 30, 2024, the Serektas Archaeological Expedition of the A.Kh. Margulan Institute of Archaeology, CN MNVO RK, conducted housing research at the Serektas-2 settlement and reconnaissance to identify archaeological monuments in the Serektas River valley as part of the PCF project "Ancient and Medieval Almaty: Research and Preservation of Archaeological Heritage." The Serektas site is located 17 kilometers northeast of the village of Karabastau in the Zhambyl district of the Almaty region.
During the field season, the research was conducted under the supervision of PhD doctor Albina Yerzhanova.
During the reconnaissance, the foothill plains and the mouths of the Serektas River gorges in the area of the well-known settlements of Serektas-1 and Serektas-2 were surveyed, noting 5 settlements and 5 clusters of rock art. A series of small campsites from the late Middle Ages and the Modern period were discovered, among which a Kazakh tribal tamga and an image of a yurt from the early nomadic era were also found.
Excavation work was carried out in dwelling 2. During the excavations, 727 fragments of Dongal-type ceramics and RLW, 83 stone tools in the form of hoes, hammers, polishers, and grinding plates were identified, as well as 38 bone artifacts from cattle and small ruminants. A bronze artifact was found on the floor on the northern side of the dwelling, along with 3 iron nails with (cattle hair) thread.
As part of the archaeological research at the Serektas-1 settlement, a room measuring 6x4 meters, oriented northwest-southeast, with a total area of 54 m², was excavated in the northeastern part of the site. As a result of the archaeological excavations at Serektas-1, extensive osteological material, stone, and ceramic inventory were obtained. Approximately 200 fragments of bones of domestic (mainly large and small cattle) and possibly wild animals were found. More than 10 stone tools and implements, including grinders, polishers, and pestle-like stones, were identified. Over 60 ceramic fragments, spindle whorls, bone awls, iron fragments, and glass were recorded.
