In the period 1981-1983. A large group of scientists led by Professor W. Seibert conducted archaeological excavations in the area of the village of Botay (Akmola region of Kazakhstan). In the process of work, they discovered traces of more than 20 settlements located along the banks of the steppe rivers Tobol, Ubagan, Turgai and dating from the Eneolithic era (V-VI millennium BC). Once upon a time there lived people who created a special Botai culture, so named at the place of its discovery. An in-depth study of artifacts found in the land made it possible to more accurately establish its historical framework, limiting it to a period of 3700-3100. BC e.
Dwellings of people of that old era
All settlements that became the subject of study by Professor W. Seibert and his colleagues had very similar features. So, it was found that each of them consisted of an average of 250 buildings ranging in size from 20 to 70 m². This suggests that in that historical period remote from us, the inhabitants of the region preferred to live in large enough communities, the most numerous of which were in the so-called Botaysky fortification, traces of which were discovered by scientists at a distance of one and a half kilometers from the village of Nikolskoye, located in the Ayyrtau region of Kazakhstan .
The houses of the ancient villagers, consisting of residential and utility rooms, were located in close groups and often had special transitions between themselves. In the central part of the buildings were indispensable attributes of human housing ─ foci, traces of which are well preserved due to accumulations of soot. A number of facts indicate that representatives of this culture of the Eneolithic era preferred to settle in tribal communities, each of which consisted of 40-50 people and constituted a single economic unit. This is confirmed by the presence of joint heterosexual burials, including the remains of members of 3-4 separate families.
A new level of progress
It is interesting to note that in earlier settlements belonging to the Neolithic period and also found in the territory of the Akmola region of Kazakhstan, tools related to fishing and hunting prevailed, while in the Eneolithic era they were replaced by tools used in furrier crafts, woodworking and other crafts . Despite the fact that, as in previous centuries, stone, clay and bone remained the main material from which the objects necessary for life were made, their processing reached a qualitatively new level.
This was a completely different stage in the development of society. Thus, archaeologists of the group of Professor W. Seibert had the opportunity to state that the creators of the Botai culture have made very tangible progress in relation to their recent predecessors.
Products of ancient masters
During excavations, objects created by ancient masters were found in a large number. These included products not only from soft materials ─ bone, slates and limestone - but even from granite, which in itself is a significant achievement for people who did not know iron. Among the found artifacts, many items from ceramics are also found. These are all kinds of pots, jugs and bowls.
A separate part of the archaeological culture of the Eneolithic is made up of products from animal bones, which also bear traces of significant technological progress. In particular, agricultural implements ─ braids and sickles made of horse jaws are of interest.
In addition, in the hands of scientists were harpoons, sewing needles and awls, as well as a wide range of primitive woodworking tools. Such a set of discovered artifacts testifies to the development of domestic crafts in the Botay culture and increasing agricultural skills. It is characteristic that the surface of many objects is decorated with decorative ornaments, confirming the fact that in the minds of people who lived 5.5 thousand years ago, aesthetic ideas have already been established.
Horse and man
It was established that the inhabitants of that old era were able to take another important step on the path leading to the creation of civilization. Their contribution to world history was the domestication of the horse, without which further progress would, in essence, be impossible. During the excavation of the settlements of Botaya, archaeologists drew attention to the huge number of animal bones found literally everywhere: on the surface and in the depths of the earth, on the floor of dwellings and in the voids of the walls. In addition, whole blockages of bones were in the pits.
This has been observed before, but in this case it was evident that the vast majority of the bones were equine. They accounted for approximately 75-80% of all finds. The rest belonged to wild animals: moose, bison, roe deer, hares and other trophies of ancient hunters. It is important to note that in previous eras, the relationship between man and horse did not go beyond the framework established by primitive nature, and they existed independently of each other. Ancient people considered the fauna surrounding them only as potential hunting prey.
The creators of harness and koumiss
During the excavation, it was found that the ancient inhabitants of the Akmola region were pioneers in the use of harnesses, as evidenced by many surviving fragments of this attribute of horse breeding, so common in our days. In addition, laboratory analysis of vessels extracted from the earth indicates that people were able to make koumiss from mare's milk already in that era.
The origins of the culture of ancient Botay
Noting hunting, fishing, and raising horses as the main occupations of people of that historical period, Professor V. Seibert puts forward a hypothesis according to which the culture they created originated in the early Eneolithic period (IV-III millennium BC) in the territory of the South Trans-Urals. He comes to this conclusion on the basis of a large number of initially similar elements that received additional development in the Botay culture.
Similarities and differences between the elements of two cultures
For example, speaking of the dwellings of the ancient inhabitants of the region, the scientist points to their similarity with the houses in which the inhabitants of the Trans-Urals settled several centuries earlier, who also created a very peculiar culture called Surtandinsky. In both cases, we are talking about dugouts and half dugouts, the walls of which were strengthened with stone slabs, and a log run was used as a roof. Their internal structure is similar, in which there was a hearth in the center of the living room, surrounded by wooden plank beds.
In many ways, the tools there are similar: grain grinders, scrapers, hammers, knives, and so on. All of them were made mainly from animal bones, stone and burnt clay. At the same time, as noted above, products created by the hands of Botai craftsmen were distinguished by higher quality workmanship.
A comparison of archaeological finds obtained during excavations of different settlements made it possible to conclude that the tribes living in the territory located between the Irtysh and Zhayek rivers played the most active role in the formation of the Botai culture. The instruments of labor and hunting performed by them are significantly superior to the analogues found in other areas. Among bone remains, equine ones make up a slightly larger percentage.
World wide scientific problem
As mentioned above, the results of two years of work by archaeologists allowed Professor W. Seibert, who specialized in studying the life of ancient people of the Copper Age (the Iron Age was also part of his scientific career), to highlight culture as a special phenomenon, which was later called Botayan. Subsequently, scientists from Moscow, St. Petersburg, Almaty and Yekaterinburg took up multidisciplinary research in this area. Great support in their work was provided by foreign colleagues from several American and British universities.
Since the study of Botayan culture made it possible to more accurately determine the period in which a wild horse was first domesticated in Eurasia, interest in this problem went beyond the scope of Russian science. In the following years, several international symposia were devoted to it, in which leading experts from Germany, Great Britain, the USA, Canada, the Czech Republic, Iran, and also a number of other states took part.
Open-air museum
Based on the results obtained by domestic and foreign scientists, a project was implemented, called the "Cultural Genesis of the Kazakhs." As part of this event, a unique open-air museum was opened on Lake Shalkar, located near the site of the excavations, part of which were two life-size models of Botai dwellings. Recreated in compliance with historical authenticity, they amaze sightseers with the ability of people who lived more than 5.5 thousand years ago to create durable and reliable structures that served as good protection from the weather and wild animals.
Later, already in 2004, numerous artifacts discovered by scientists two decades earlier were placed in mock-ups of Botayan dwellings on Lake Shalkar and several others built directly on the site of the excavations. This aroused wide interest among many history buffs, as a result of which several travel agencies included Botai and the surrounding areas in the routes of their excursions. Even according to incomplete data, at least 100 thousand people become participants in the trips they organize annually.
The project of creating a historical and cultural reserve
Since the models of ancient dwellings, with all their attractiveness, cannot be considered as a place of permanent storage of valuable exhibits, the decision of the Government of Kazakhstan provides for the construction of a special complex of buildings in the near future. They will become part of the Botai historical and cultural reserve, which is being created today, which, in addition to objects associated with the excavations of 1981-1982, will include other archaeological sites of Northern Kazakhstan.
It is known that the Copper Age, the Iron Age, as well as subsequent eras of the Ancient World are of great interest both for professional researchers and for ordinary lovers of antiquity. In this regard, a special state program was developed that included, in addition to a number of activities aimed at preserving historical monuments, a wide range of new archaeological research. It is also assumed that visitors to the reserve will be given the opportunity to see the most impressive natural sites of the region.