BOTAY CULTURE

The Botay culture is a culture of tribes of North Kazakhstan of the Eneolithic period. It was located in the Atyrau district of North Kazakhstan region.

In 1981-1983 Archeological expedition of the North Kazakhstan State University headed by professor Victor Zaibert discovered remains of the settlement consisting of 158 constructions on the area of 15 hectares.

The ancient tribes built about 250 dwellings in Botay settlement during the period of its existence lasted over several centuries. The total square of a dwelling was up to 20-70 sq m. They were arranged by groups often adjoining each other and some of them were connected by passages. All buildings were divided into leaving and household outbuildings. Each dwelling had a fireplace on the floor in the center. As long as a transition to producing household took place during the Eneolithic period in North Kazakhstan region instruments designed for woodwork, furriery and other types of domestic crafts were of special importance.

Articles made of shale, limestone, granite compose the major group of them. Different ceramic tableware was widely used as well. A set of bone tools including sickles and scythes made from lower jawbones of horses, ground engaging tools, etc is remarkable. These tools prove existence of agricultural skills and developed system of household crafts. Many of instruments and articles had ornamental paintings, mysterious signs and lines on their surface. But the main peculiarity of the finds of the Botay culture is a great number of skeletal remains. The major part of the remains belongs to corpses of horses, that is one of the signs of domestication. Tribes inhabited the territory between Zhaiyk and Irtysh Rivers plaid an important role in the establishment of the Botay culture.

An exhibition of archeological evidences was organized in the built models of Botay dwellings in 2004. An archeological museum is planned to be established in Petropavlovsk on the bases of these finds. A project of historic-cultural reserve "Botay" and a touristic rout including monuments of nature, history, archeology of North Kazakhstan were developed as well.




Source: Kazakhstan, National Encyclopedia, volume 1.