Monuments of the upper Atasu river in Central Kazakhstan

The article discusses a group of archaeological monuments located in the upper Atasu river in the Karaganda region. They were discovered for the first time for the scientific community 60 years ago by A.Kh. Margulan. In 1955, the Central Kazakhstan archaeological expedition under the guidance of A.Kh. Margulan excavated the Bronze Age settlement Atasu. In 1974-1981 M.K. Kadyrbaev held stationary excavations of large Bronze Age settlements Atasu, Akmustafa, Myrzhyk, as well as of a number of large cemeteries located near them. It led to the discovery of the "core sites of Atasu area". The research works continued by M. K. Kadyrbaev's colleagues in the early 1990s have stopped. Atasu group is defined as a large metallurgical center of the Bronze Age in Eurasia steppes in the works of scientists of Kazakhstan. Currently questions to continue a comprehensive study of these monuments related to the incompleteness of the job have actualized. In 2014, the author started new research works on Atasu. All known objects were viewed, new field documentation was drawn, and many new monuments were opened. New researches were conducted on cemeteries Sangy-ru-1 and Sangyru-3 of Begazy-Dandybay culture. Detailed researches and restoration of the three previously excavated objects were carried out on the cemetery Sangyru-1, one burial structure was excavated on Sangyru-3. Recent studies have shown that in addition to the objects of the Bronze Age the area is full of outstanding monuments of the early Iron Age, including large mounds with stone walls. Burial mounds Myrzhyk-6, which are recorded in the 2014, have stone-earthen embankment with the height more than 1 m, and 20-25 m in the diameter. They are promising for the further studies. The mounds are surrounded by a circular fence of vertically set slabs. Mounds with stone ridges are found on the territory. In 1980s J. Kurmankulov in Akmustafa burial found a unique treasure of metallic objects (harness) belonging to the early Sak time. These articles are still unknown to many specialists. Conducting stationary research of early Iron Age monuments is one of the outstanding and urgent tasks on Atasu. The results of work in 2014 are promising for further implementation of a new research phase in Atasu. The total amount of future research can be divided into two parts: 1) a study of monuments of different historical periods in order to obtain more complete scientific data; 2) activities for conservation and use of monuments. Much attention is paid to the use of modern techniques in dating sites, studies of the obtained materials, cartography, topography, and others.

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