Research of the Irrigation Detachment

A detachment of the South Kazakhstan expedition of the Institute of History, Archeology and Ethnography of the Academy of Sciences of the Kazakh SSR investigated the hydraulic structures of medieval cities and settlements on the left bank of the Syr Darya in its middle course and southeastern Semirechye. More than 15 archaeological sites and related irrigation structures were surveyed, including such large ones as Syutkent, Zhartobe, Kauganata, Buzuk, Aktobe, Kandoz, Karatobe, Abyztobe, Kumiyan, Kelintobe, Mairamtobe, Kotan, Akkorgan and the ancient settlements of Antonov and Kopal in southeastern Semirechye. The left-bank part of the middle course of the Syr Darya belongs to the flat belt. It has a low, highly developed microrelief in channels, oxbow lakes, lakes, bays, estuaries. Some settlements are topographically connected with channels (Abyztobe, Kelin-tobe II, Karatobe). The Abyztobe settlement is located on the Syr Darya channel, 2 km from its main channel. The track is 20-30 m wide and about 2 km long. In some places, transverse ridges 1.6 m wide can be traced on the channel. The Kelintobe II settlement is located on the oxbow lake of the Syr Darya, 15 m wide. The Karatobe settlement is located next to the active channel of the Syr Darya, about 20 m wide. These settlements date back to the turn of our era - the middle of the 1st millennium AD. Separate settlements had "individual" irrigation systems. These include Bayrkum and Zhartobe. The Bayrkum channel source is located on the lower bank of the Syr Darya, 2.5 km southeast of the settlement. The width of the bed of this channel is 5-7 m, the height of the dumps is 1.7 m, their width at the base is 15 m, the depth of the track is 1.8 m, and the length is 10 km. It dates from the 9th-10th centuries. The head section of the Zhartobe irrigation system is located 1.5 km east of the settlement, where a canal 7 km long and 3-5 m wide departed from the Syr Darya. It also existed in the 9th–10th centuries.

In addition to those mentioned, four more highly branched irrigation systems were found on the left bank of the Syr Darya: Syutkentaryk, Kauganaryk, Chulakaryk, and Mairamaryk. The Syutkentaryk chanal source was found 5 km south of the settlement on the banks of the Syr darya River. The width of its bed is 7-9 m, the width of the ramparts at the base is 20 m, the height is 2.5 m, the depth is 2 m, and the length of the route is 15 km. The channel belongs to the 10th-15th centuries. The Kauganat system source was recorded 8 km southeast of Baltakol in the bend of the Syr Darya. The remains of five head canals have been preserved, which, after 2.5 km, are connected into one highway. The width of the main channel bed is 7 m, the width of the dumps is 15 m, their height is 2 m, and the length is 20 km. The irrigation system Chulakaryk originates on the shore of Baltakol Lake, 3 km from the village of the same name. Two main canals have been preserved here, the sources of which are located 150 m from each other. Another head canal is located 1.5 km upstream of the Syr Darya. The main canal began from the junction of the head sections. The width of its bed is 9 m, the width of the ramparts at the base is 30 m, the height of the dumps is 3–4 m, the depth is 5 m, and the length is 40 km. The Chulakaryk canal operated in the 10th-17th centuries. 3 km from the discharge of the previous system downstream of the Syr Darya, on the active channel, the source of the Mayramarik irrigation canals of the 10th-17th centuries was discovered. The width of its bed is 7 m, the width of the ramparts at the base is 20 m, the height of the ramparts is 2 m, and the length is 35 km.

As a rule, most of the settlements of southeastern Semirechie are located in the foothill zone, located along the banks of mountain rivers at their exit from the gorges.

Two of them, the settlements of Antonov and Kopal, were examined. The ancient settlement Antonov received water from the mountain river Aschibulak. On the territory of rabad and shakhristan, traces of numerous ditches 2-3 m wide and up to 1 m deep have been preserved. Their dumps are 0.4 m high and 1 m wide. The length of the route is 1-3 km. Tortkul Kopal was based on the waters of a spring river. Traces of small canals up to 3 km long and 3 m wide were also found here. The channels of both settlements date back to the 9th-12th centuries