Journal of Siberian Federal University. Humanities & Social Sciences / Kastek Medieval Settlement During the Karakhanid Period

Full text (.pdf)
Issue
Journal of Siberian Federal University. Humanities & Social Sciences. 2026 19 (7)
Authors
Tolegenov, Abylay K.; Razdykov, Saken Z.; Kadirkulova, Gulim K.
Contact information
Tolegenov, Abylay K.: L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University (Astana, Republic of Kazakhstan); ; ORCID: 0000-0003-4096-4739; Razdykov, Saken Z. : L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University (Astana, Republic of Kazakhstan); ORCID: 0000-0002-8992-4191; Kadirkulova, Gulim K.: Almaty University of Humanities and Economics (Almaty, Republic of Kazakhstan); ORCID: 0009-0004-4091-9326
Keywords
Karakhanid State; Kastek settlement; medieval urbanisation; the Zhetysu region; trade routes; the Great Silk Road; urban culture; archaeological research; defensive structures; economic development
Abstract

This article examines the site of ancient Kastek settlement during the Karakhanid period and aims to provide a comprehensive analysis of its material culture and the characteristics of its functioning as a medieval urban centre in the Zhetysu region. The relevance of this study stems from the insufficient research conducted on this site regarding the region’s urbanisation processes and its role in the Great Silk Road network. The aim of the study is to identify the main characteristics of the material culture of the Kastek settlement, as well as to determine its place within the socio- economic structure of the Karakhanid era. The study is based on archaeological materials obtained during excavations between 2011 and 2020, as well as scholarly works by Kazakhstani researchers. The methodological framework comprises typological, stratigraphic and comparative-typological methods, which helped to make the classification of archaeological finds, establish their chronology and compare them with materials from other medieval towns in the Zhetysu region. The study has revealed the distinctive features of the ceramic assemblage from the Kastek settlement, reflecting the high level of craft production and the economic activities of the population. The technological and functional characteristics of the pottery have been determined, as well as its similarities and differences with analogous materials from other urban centres in the region. The results obtained allow for a more complete reconstruction of the material culture and economic structure of the Kastek settlement during the Karakhanid period, as well as a clarification of its role in the system of medieval cities in Zhetysu

Pages
1370–1379
EDN
ZVNAEG
Paper at repository of SibFU
https://elib.sfu-kras.ru/handle/2311/159257

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