Excavations of Zhaksylyk settlement (Ili Valley)

In Semirechye, the type of settlement known as "tortkul" is widespread. These are low quadrangular platforms with the remains of a shaft along the edges. Due to the absence of any signs of buildings on the territory enclosed by the rampart, tortkul belonged to the monuments left by nomadic pastoralists or qualified as nomadic camps or caravanserais.

In 1967, a detachment of the Semirechye archaeological expedition for the first time in Kazakhstan began excavations of a tortkul on the left bank of the river Koten Sai near the village of Oktyabr, 56 km northeast of Alma-Ata. The dimensions of the tortkul are 75x75 m, the height of the shaft is 2-2.5 m, it is oriented by the corners to the cardinal points. Inside, the surface had no hillocks and descended from the shaft to the center. The entrance was traced in the middle of the southeast side. Remains of towers are visible on all four corners of the tortkul. At a distance of 200 m, the remains of a second rampart 1–1.5 m high with numerous towers are visible. The dimensions of the outer rampart-quadrangle are 450x450 m. The surface between the outer rampart and the central structure is entirely flat. The thickness of the cultural layer near the ramparts is 1.87 m. The monument turned out to be multi-layered. Some periods of life with a thickness of cultural deposits from 15 to 25 cm were traced. The layers were separated by clay 5–15 cm thick—reed walls with a clay coating, hearths, tandoors and numerous utility pits. The original layout is visible. From the inside, rooms with adobe walls were attached to the ramparts. One of them is rectangular in plan, measuring Пх2 m, the preserved height is 0.9 m. Two ovens made of rectangular raw bricks were found near the northeastern wall. The entrance to the room was on the southwest side. The ceilings were the flat roof, as wooden beams and reeds were found on the floor. The roofs rested on pillars located in rows in the center and along the room's edges. The original buildings after periods of desolation were used twice. Then they were covered with cultural strata of the following horizons.

A section through the rampart showed that the fortress wall was made of mud, 5 m wide at the base. Its height was 1.85 m.

Fragments of glazed utensils date the monument quite definitely from the 10th to the beginning of the 13th century. Of the finds, it should be noted a piece of a jug with a drain in the form of an animal's head, the eyebrows of which are molded in the form of a writhing snake. There is a similar molding on the chin of the animal. Also found were iron nails and staples, large bone awls and pins, and stone hand millstones. There are a lot of bones of a ram, a horse, less of a cow. The nature of the finds and construction techniques leave no doubt that the monument was rejected by that part of the pastoral tribes of the Semirechye who lived settled and, along with cattle breeding, was engaged in handicraft and agriculture. The settlement was used year-round, but it is not yet clear what caused the frequency with which the population left their homes. Perhaps this is due to military troubles or migrations for an extended period to new pastures.