(1) Contribution to the Silk Roads' OUVTian Shan corridor of the Silk Road is a unique example of trade and the spread of cultural values. Zhetysu was a region of synthesis of nomadic and settled cult ...

(1) Contribution to the Silk Roads' OUV

Tian Shan corridor of the Silk Road is a unique example of trade and the spread of cultural values. Zhetysu was a region of synthesis of nomadic and settled cultures. The Settlement Aktobe was a large trade and craft town, and cultural center in Zhetysu.

(2) General Information

Aktobe ancient settlement is an archaeological monument of the republican value, located on both sides of Aksu river, near its confluence to Chu River, in the steppe zone of Zhetysu. Settlement dates back to the beginning of 6^th – 13th centuries. Central ruins, which gave name to the whole monument, are located on the left bank of the river Aksu. Citadel is a kind of high rectangular hill in height of 15 m, oriented to the cardinal points. Size of the mound at the base is 120 × 100 m. Shakhristan is adjacent to, the citadel that has rectangular outline (240 × 210 m). The citadel and shakhristan are surrounded by the walls, where preserved swollen ramparts. Shakhristan 1 is of rectangular shape in size of 380 × 250 m, a height of 6-7m. Dimensions of shakhristan are 2300 × 250 m, height is 3-6 m long urban districts surrounded by ramparts: the first rampart is 17 km, the second one is 25 km. The second rampart is on the western and southern sides of the adjacent four semicircle ramparts. The excavations at shakhristan uncovered a total of 21 premises. It became possible to allocate space into individual households, identify the principle of their construction. Some of them consist of five buildings, the rest mainly of two or one. On the walls of buildings of the southern part of the excavation there are traces of a fire. Basic material is ceramics. In some areas there were found unique bronze lamps, stands, tripod, trunk, composite lamp stand. In one of the rooms was found a treasure of 3057 Karakhanid coins. Here is a rich collection of copper and ceramic products. The houses were investigated in the upper layer of Shakhristan 2. At 25 m in the northwest of the citadel on an area of 140 m, at a depth of 60-80 cm of the cultural layer there were discovered eight rooms. All rooms are constructed of different size of sufa. Three tandoors filled with ashes were built in one of the rooms near the wall. During excavations were revealed various materials: tandoor, jugs, hoe, bronze candlesticks, cast iron boilers. In one of the rooms was found about 5,000 copper coins of Karakhanids era. The excavations revealed rabad part of the street and the adjacent seven residential buildings with a common entrance. At a height of 1 m from the floor there is the base trace. The remains of a collapsed arch laid evenly in the northwestern part of the room. The preserved wall is at a height of 1.5-2 m. The room has three levels of floor, the walls are with traces of plaster. In the room around the hearth there were scattered articles made of iron and glass, pieces of glazed ceramics, two coins of Karakhanid time (10th – 12th centuries), and the pieces of fused copper coins. The territory of the settlement, despite the seeming randomness of building, has a clear layout. Residential estates (house and yard) are elongated in the direction of river flow, and arranged in rows so that the rears of closely located estates are linked. Area of plots ranges from a quarter hectare to one and a half acres. Quarter hectare plots predominate, whereas plots of a hectare or more are relatively small. Estate on the site was investigated in 8th – 12th centuries. Its residential part consisted of the central square room with a side of 3.3 meters, which was surrounded by a perimeter with bypass corridor in width of 2.8 m and a length of each of the four branches of 4.5 m. The entrance to the central premises was in the middle of the southern wall. Along the eastern, northern and western walls of the room there was set up a solid podium at a height of 0.95 m and a width of 0.75m. Also was studied a group of three estates. Residential houses of the estates consisted of several rooms, and there were sufa niches in the walls, fireplaces and grillhearths on the floor. In the ring of inner rampart there was f9ed four gaps, through which passed the ancient road: northern and southern gates connected the highway, at an angle there were lead two roads, which had access to the southwest and northwest. Central highway led to the gate of shakhristan. Fortification of the settlement was complex and diverse. The system consisted of its ramparts, gate fortifications, castles and watch-mounds. The inner ring of ramparts passes through ridges then crosses Aksu and presents monumental building, which was an effective defense. Rampart height varies, in some areas it is up to 5-6 m, with a thickness of 15-20 m. By the perimeter of the rampart there can be traced remains of towers as hillocks. On the eastern side, where the rampart passes through the inner ridge of the first terrace above the floodplain, it is relatively low - 3-3.5 m. Entrances are read as erosion of the rampart. Inside they are reinforced by two curved walls. The system of fortifications included locks. The most powerful of them was located at the southern entrance. Section of the rampart, that protected the settlement from the south, closed the narrowest (width 0.5 km) part of the floodplain. Rampart bearings are lead to water's edge, where they are broken. Castle, stated as Aktobe 6, located only 100 meters from the entrance at a high promontory and included in its capacity part of the rampart. Now the castle is in the form of hill of height of 5 m with a base of 20 × 20 m. It is adjacent by the lower hill. The southern wall of the castle and the settlement is general, with the other three sides of the castle surrounded by a wall and a deep ditch. On the walls there are visible remains of five towers. Castle is the highest point in the southern part of the settlement and dominates the countryside. Two more castles located on the northern periphery of the outer wall. They are a lot like the above. The defense system included guard mounds. One of them is put on the highest peak of the watershed of Aksu - Karabalta, the second - on the ridges between the Aksu and the river. Sections of the first and second long ramparts reveals that the first rampart to the base in width is of 4.5-6 m, and the second is 2 m erected on an earthen embankment in width of 6 m and height of 1 m. Water supply system on the site was first discovered in 1974. In Aktobe site there were found long-distance pipelines.

Water pipelines were divided into single and multi-row. Multilayered system of water pipelines was the main one and stretched across the top of shakhristan from west to east in the direction of the citadel. The length of the central water pipeline, discovered by researchers, is 500m. On the site there were excavated two pipes in length of 1.5 km. One is kilometer long lead to the citadel, the second – 0.5 km, lead to the southern part of shakhristan. Among the excavated sites on the suburb territory were revealed three wineries. The excavations revealed oval construction, where was recognized the complex of distillation of grape juice. The winery dates back to the 10th -12th centuries.

(3) Attributes

Artifacts obtained during the study of towns, contain Christian symbols and indicate the presence of the belief of this persuasion. In the history of Central Asia and Zhetysu a great role belonged to the Sogdians. They participated in the political, economic and cultural, including religious life of the Ancient Khanates. Residents of the city also practiced Islam – on Shakhristan were found traces of the minaret. The existence of Islam is also confirmed by the burials of Muslim rites.

Trade relations of the medieval town with other states are confirmed by the finds, such as a jade pendant with Christian symbolism. It is known that the great popularity enjoyed jade in ancient China. The main center of jade mining was the city of Khotan in Eastern Turkestan, which supplied musk along with an abundance of jade to the markets. Carvings on the clay (fragments of which are found in the premises of the palace of the citadel) reproduce motifs that are well known for the 11th – 12th centuries. The pattern is similar to the pattern of ornamentation on the outside frame of the wooden iskondar mihrab. In addition, ceramic mural watering dishes from one of the objects are similar to those in the paintings of ancient Penjikent.

The Settlement Aktobe is a large group of so-called "settlements with long walls". They are concentrated in the Chu and Talas valleys. They are also in the south of Kazakhstan – Ispidjab, Karaspan. They are usually tied to the tracks of the Silk Roads. Aktobe is one of those which is referred to the large ones (4135 ha). Rural area is surrounded by long ramparts (17 and 25 km). Aktobe has a classic three-part structure typical for the most medieval cities of Kazakhstan: high mud walls, shakhristan with citadel in the center and rabad. In the constructions are marked Sogdian cultural standards and skills brought by the settlers of Sogd, Chach, Tokharistan, Ustrushana. This is particularly clearly seen in the castle constructions. They were built from pakhsa, mud brick on the loess solution, with the use of combined masonry. These monumental buildings were erected on the highest artificial platforms.

Various coins (copper, bronze, silver) and the attributes of their production testify to the presence of the mint on the site. On the territory of the settlement were found artifacts, indicating that the wine was produced in the city. Wine culture was spread by Sogdians, who were experts in this business. According to the inscriptions on the hum from the Zhetysu they were the main producers of grapes and wine, which was used in the religious rites of Christian Nestorians.

The city enjoys a convenient location and was built in good location with comfortable climatic conditions, where there is sufficient water, no drought, and there are all conditions for the blissful life. During the archaeological excavations on the site of Aktobe was revealed resolutely long urban water supply system. Water pipelines were discovered in Otrar, Taraz, Baba-Ata and other large cities. In Aktobe ancient settlement was excavated a water pipeline, the length of which was 1.0 and 0.5 km. Arrangement of the Aktobe in the area between the rivers (Aksu and Kara-Balta) was used by the residents for the water supply of the city.

Tien Shan corridor area still has an economic value. Through Kazakhstan hosted an international road to China. Currently conducted construction of the road Western Europe-Western China, which runs through Kazakhstan. The road partially runs along old roads through the settlements of Aktobe, Kulan, Kayalyk.