Research of the irrigation detachment

As part of the Semirechye expedition, the detachment continued the study of irrigation system 1 in the Kegen river valley (Eastern Semirechye), begun in 1965 during the survey of the wintering settlement Aktas II. Eight ditches were surveyed in the gorges of Koksay (five) and Kuraily (three).

Ditch I is located 400 mot Aktas II downstream of a small river in the Koksay gorge. Its route is laid along the steep slope of the mountain. The width of the ditch is 80–95 cm, the depth is 20–25 cm. With the help of the ditch, water was supplied to three plots (250 sq. m) planned along the slope, located at a height of about 20 m from the bottom of the gorge. After irrigation, water was discharged into the river using a collector 50 cm wide. The length of the route of the ditch I was 900 m. Ditch II began 50 m downstream from the discharge of ditch I. Its bed can be traced on the slope in a groove 60 cm wide and 25 cm deep. At 30 m from the water intake, a 25 cm wide sprinkler departed to the left from the ditch, which brought water to a zero area measuring 20 x 10 m. The rest of the water was then dumped into the river. The length of ditch II is 750 m. Routes of three more canals; recorded in the Koksay gorge are similar to the two previous ones. Their length, as a rule, did not exceed 800-900 m, and the cultivated plots of land amounted to 100-250 square meters. m.

Three ditches are located in the Kuraily gorge adjoining the Koksay gorge from the northeast. A spring river also flows along its bottom. The sources of ditches VI and VII were found on the northern slope, 300 m from the confluence of two rivers. Their routes are laid along the slope parallel to each other for a distance of 10 m. The length of both is 300 m, the width of the bed of each is 90 cm. The ditches ended on a relatively flat strip of land adjacent to the floodplain at the confluence of two rivers. Here, the remains of irrigated plots 8 X 10 and 10 X 12 m in size have been preserved in the form of barely noticeable traces of ridges. Ditch VIII originated 100 m downstream from the two previous water intakes. Its route passed along the left, southern side of the Kuraily gorge and approached the floodplain above from the river's opposite bank. The ditch is 200 m long, 80 cm wide, and 20 cm deep. A well-planned area (7 x 10 m) was found at the end of the ditch, divided into ridges 50 cm wide. The height of the remaining ridges is 5–7 cm. The width of the irrigation furrows is 20–25 cm.

All ditches had unilateral commands. Attention is drawn to the fact that the irrigated areas of the Koksay gorge had a continuous layout and were apparently intended for growing cereals. The cultivated sections of land in the Kuraily gorge were smaller in the area and divided into ridges, indicating the cultivation of garden crops on them. The time of functioning of ditches and irrigated plots is the first century of our era.