Baigunakov D.
Professor of the Department of Archeology, Ethnology and Museology of the
Al-Farabi Kazakh National University
PROBLEMS OF STUDYING THE TRANSITION FROM
NEOLITE TO ENEOLITE IN KAZAKHSTAN
The Neolithic era in Kazakhstan is represented by more than 800
monuments. It also highlights several archaeological cultures
(Atbasar, Mahandzhar, Oyukli, Toulouse, etc.), which were
traditionally regarded as a historical and cultural continuation of
local Mesolithic objects. There are about 3-4 times less Eneolithic
monuments. They were mainly studied since the second half of the
last century, especially since 1980, when monuments of the Botai
culture cometo the scientific community. Studies on the settlements
of Botai radically changed the existing ideas about the Eneolithic
Kazakhstan.At this time, there is a need for a comprehensive
reconstruction of the cultural and historical process throughout the
Neolithic-Eneolithic era, especially during the transitional phase of
the two historical and cultural stages of humanity.
It should be noted that in the late Neolithic and early Eneolithic
period, in the modern Kazakhstan territory, a complex of factors
developed (a peculiar paleo-graphical environment, the development
of stone industry, an integrated economic structure, wide production
of ceramics), which allowed forming a system of monuments in
various regions archaeological inventory, location and specialization
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of settlements and sites (fishing and stockbreeding), types of various
structures and economic activities. Due to this complex of factors,
many Kazakhstan archaeological cultures of the Neolithic and
Eneolithic were identified.
The development of economic complexes gradually led to the
transition from the Neolithic to the Eneolithic period. This transition
was not a quick process, for some time the Neolithic and Eneolithic
complexes coexisted, had developed the skills of everyday life and
took innovative and technical experiences from each other.Intensive
contacts, exchange and adaptation to new technologies led to the
gradual transition. This is vividly illustrated by the complex of
Atbasar and Botai cultures (V. F.Zaibert), which coexisted in
parallel. Also, the transition to a new historical and cultural period
can be clearly seen from materials of the Zhezkazgan monuments
(A.Kh. Margulan) and is partially reflected in the industries of the
multi-layered Shidertin’splaces (V.K.Merts).The expansion of
cultural ties and interactions in the late Neolithic or early Eneolithic
periods stimulated a complete transition to a productive economy,
most clearly reflected in the early horse breeding of the Northern
Kazakhstan.
Unfortunately, in other regions of Kazakhstan, issues of the
cultural characteristics of the transition from Neolithic to the
Eneolithic periods are poorly reflected. The lack of knowledge of
entire regions, the lack of systematic researches, specific radiocarbon
dates and scientific and natural data on materials of monuments, as
well as different technical and typological interpretation of the stone
industry and other problems do not allow us to trace the stages of this
transition.These issues can be resolved by conducting a full mapping
of famous Neolithic and Eneolithic monuments, expanding the
archaeological search and excavation works, the widespread use of
interdisciplinary methods, and so on.
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