Barry Cunlife - The Scythians

scythians in central asia
Cemeteries
Modern city
Steppe
Mountains
Desert
Lake
Balkhash
N
Semirech’ye Region
Ili
Ka r a
I
ta
l
l i
V
D z h u n g a
a l l
e y
s
r M o u n t a i n
Almaty
ISSYK
Lake
Issyk Kul
T i a n S h a n M o u n t a
i n s
0 100 miles
0 100km
7.10 The Semirech’ye region of south-eastern Kazakhstan. The rivers flowing from the mountains created
rich deltaic fans ideal for settlement and animal rearing.
wheat became the predominant crop as cereal growing intensified. Domesticated
animals included sheep, goats, cattle, horses, camels, and dogs. Wild animals were
hunted but made little significant contribution to the diet. The settlements for the
most part were small hamlets or villages, but one reached the extent of 13 hectares.
Kurgan cemeteries were interspersed with the settlements, usually grouped in clusters
aligned along ancient stream beds. The kurgans were modest in size but elsewhere
in Semirech’ye cemeteries containing more substantial kurgans have been
found. At Besschatyr, on the north bank of the Ili, 130 km north-east of Almaty, a
large ensemble of thirty-one kurgans has been identified with the largest measuring
106 m in diameter and 17 m in height. It was surrounded by ninety-four megaliths.
Excavation showed that the graves, which dated from the fifth to the third century,
had all been robbed.
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