Research in northern Kazakhstan
Karaganda State University, Petropavlovsk Pedagogical Institute, Kokchetav and Karaganda regional museums, Karaganda city palace of pioneers took part in the research of the North Kazakhstan expedition.
The main object of study was the settlement of Sargary on the Zhabai River, 30 km northeast of the city of Atbasar, Tselinograd Region. They opened 4016 sq. m of area. The remains of nine semi-dugout structures of a subrectangular shape with pits 0.6–0.9 m deep were cleared. The premises were located very compactly and were connected by passages. Of most significant interest is dwelling 7, which perished during a fire. Its width in the middle part is 9-10 m, along with the edges up to 15 m, length is 55 m. The total area of the room is more than 600 square meters. Remains of wattle were found along the walls, load-bearing structures (beams and poles) were well fixed, in some cases retaining a vertical position. The charred remains of the roof consist of birch bark, brushwood, and coarse grasses.
Structure 2 stands out by design, located away from the residential complex. It has an octagon shape with sides of 4-5 m. Its area is 135 square meters. Traces of calcination were found in the center. In the southeast corner on a clay hill there is a lamb burial. Along the southern wall, there are six skulls of rams. This building had, apparently, a cult purpose. Room 2 is adjoined by a system of ditches filled with ash.
The collection from the settlement contains 12,000 items, including bronze arrowheads, a massive ice pick, needles, and piercers—roller ceramics. Several vessels of the Karasuk type were found. The settlement dates back to the Late Bronze Age.
Near the Zhabai-Pokrovka II settlement, a ground burial was discovered. 34 oval-shaped pits (0.4X0.6 m) were investigated. Some of them are covered with stone slabs. Near the western wall there are one or two Alakul vessels. Remains of children's skeletons have been preserved in several pits. A grave of the 2nd-4th centuries was also found here. n. e. Three male skeletons lay stretched out and were oriented to the southwest. There were found covers of a complex bow, three vessels, an iron sword, a dagger, three spearheads (?), a set of arrows.
The Kokchetav detachment began work near the village of Kenotkel, on the Chaglinka river (Zerendy district, Kokchetav region). 20 monuments of different epochs were revealed. The most expressive burial grounds consist of round stone enclosures or mounds with earthen and stone embankments. At the Koshkarbay I and Kenotkel XII burial grounds, 12 stone rings from the Bronze Age were studied. Constructions with a diameter 4-16 m contained one grave pit, oriented along the west-east axis. The rite of burial prevails. Vessels of the Fedorovo-Alakul type and bronze beads were found in the pits. Vessels were found inside and outside the annulus. Two large rings of the Koshkarbay I burial ground have small circles on the eastern side - annexes with cremations.
The Kenotkel X settlement is the remains of a long-term seasonal camp of pastoralists from the Early Iron Age.
In the same area, excavations of the Early Bronze Age settlement Kenotkel VIII were carried out. On a site of 400 sq. m, the remains of several land dwellings were discovered, and more than 4,000 finds made of stone and clay were found.