Publication details
A water reservoir from the 3rd to 5th century AD as a possible key for understanding the subsistence strategies and environment at the margin of the Fergana basin in Southern Kyrgyzstan
| Authors | |
|---|---|
| Year of publication | 2026 |
| Type | Article in Periodical |
| Magazine / Source | ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND ANTHROPOLOGICAL SCIENCES |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| web | web |
| Doi | https://doi.org/10.1007/s12520-025-02389-y |
| Keywords | Archaeobotany; Archaeozoology; Geoarchaeology; Water sources; Tepe; Fergana basin; Kyrgyzstan |
| Attached files | |
| Description | The settlement mound structures interpreted as tepe at the Ak-Dzhar locality in Southern Kyrgyzstan can be understood as sedimentary archives reflecting how they were constructed and how people used the space and maintained water management. These structures, located on one of the branches of the Silk Road at the eastern edge of the Fergana basin, make the study important not only in terms of climate change but also in understanding the settlement and subsistence strategies of prehistoric societies The infill of the water reservoir buried under the tepe had its main phase of function from 200 AD to 400 AD as a seasonal watering place for animals. The spectra of crops reflect arable agriculture, including one of the first findings of the grapevine in this region and time period. The pollen analyses show treeless vegetation with abundant grasses and ephemeral Chenopodiaceae species, and the malacological analysis proved the existence of open steppe shrub habitats. The main source of animal diet was meat from domesticated ungulates. |