R. Zhumataev
Senior Lecturer, Department of Archeology, Ethnology and Museology named
after Al-Farabi,
B. Besetaev
Ph.D. – the 1-year doctoral candidate of the Department of Archeology,
Ethnology, and Museology of the Al-Farabi Kazakh National University
HORSE NOMADS OF ANCIENT KAZAKHSTAN
In the process of developing the Kazakh steppes and mountain-
steppe regions, human played an important communicational role
between different nations. Ways of promoting entire nations, ideas
and goods depended on the historical situation, the level of
development of society and the ethno-psychological adaptations of
culture. Cultures of the taiga zone and steppes from the Eneolithic
and Early Bronze Age (IV – millennium BC) received different
directions and development rates. The development of horse
breeding by the population of the Tersek and Botai cultures is an
important event in the Kazakh steppe. In the taiga zones, a gradual
transformation of the appropriating type of economy (hunting and
fishing) is recorded the birth of nomadism.
In this era, the population became more dynamic and mobile, not
only because of the mobility and specificity of the economy, but also
primarily due to the internal innovations of pastoralists in the field of
transport. The three great discoveries of these peoples: the invention
of carts, chariots and horse harness – greatly influenced the
appearance of many cultures and the ethnic situation in the steppe
Eurasia.
The Age of Carts (4
th
and 3
rd
millennium BC). With the invention
of the wheel, many cultures, especially cattle breeding, became more
mobile. Wheeled vehicles are forming from simple gigs with a heavy
solid wheel to more complex structures of lightweight vehicles with
2 and 4 wheels. They are fairly well represented in the graves of the
pit cultural and historical community of Eastern Europe.
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Numerous rock carvings of bulls and carts from this period have
been discovered in Kazakhstan, demonstrating the existence of
scenes far to the east up to India and Mongolia. Whether it is the
penetration of the separated population or these cultures go back to
the Neolithic local strata of Altai, while definitely not resolved
without additional comprehensive research. In any case, new
archaeological materials in Altai do not exclude the autochthonous
origin of the Caucasoid population and the Afanasiyev culture.
The era of chariots (2
nd
millennium BC). There is a further
development of the most optimal forms of cattle breeding in
snowless steppes and foothills. Progress in horse breeding, the
invention of the harness and chariots of different types, dictated the
creation of certain types of weapons offensive combat, and greatly
increased the mobility and aggressiveness of many steppe cultures.
The social stratification of society is manifested in the allocation of
prestigious burials of soldiers with chariots. There is a selection of
crafts and, above all, the formation of metalworking centers.
Epoch of the first centaurs (1
st
millennium BC). Only at the end
of the Bronze Age did the steppe cultures master the horse for horse
riding (apparently by the shepherds), as evidenced by the finds of
bone rod psalm of various modifications and a few rock paintings. At
the very beginning of the 1st millennium BC. Due to the significant
progress in horse breeding and the making of bronze of more reliable
bridle sets in large batches, the equestrian centaur warrior takes first
place in the society of the early nomads. The appearance of many
cultures is changing, the optimal forms of farming are created,
convenient, easily portable dwellings and utensils, a set of equestrian
weapons, etc. are created.
The direction of cultural ties is the most diverse: to the north –
with the taiga tribes, to the south – with the urban civilizations of
Central Asia, India and China. However, cultural impulses and
migrations to the west prevailed, starting from Arzhan-Mayemer and
Early Scythian times. Typological analysis of the main components
of the culture of nomads shows that this is a complex step-by-step
process of promoting people, ideas and things. At first, they were
Scythian-Saka, Savromat-Sarmatian, then Gunno-Sarmatians and
nomads of the Middle Ages, whose movement largely changed the
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ethno-cultural situation of Asia and Europe, but also created
prerequisites for established trade routes between these regions.
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