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First Radiocarbon Chronology for the Early Iron Age Sites of Central Kazakhstan (Tasmola Culture and Korgantas Period)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 January 2016

Arman Z Beisenov ,
Svetlana V Svyatko ,
Aibar Е Kassenalin ,
Kairat А Zhambulatov ,
Daniyar Duisenbai  and
Paula J Reimer
Arman Z Beisenov
Affiliation:
National Museum of the Republic of Kazakhstan, 54 Avenue Tauelsizdik, Astana 010000, Kazakhstan.
Svetlana V Svyatko*
Affiliation:
14CHRONO Centre for Climate, the Environment, and Chronology, Queen’s University of Belfast, Belfast BT7 1NN, Northern Ireland, UK.
Aibar Е Kassenalin
Affiliation:
National Museum of the Republic of Kazakhstan, 54 Avenue Tauelsizdik, Astana 010000, Kazakhstan.
Kairat А Zhambulatov
Affiliation:
National Museum of the Republic of Kazakhstan, 54 Avenue Tauelsizdik, Astana 010000, Kazakhstan.
Daniyar Duisenbai
Affiliation:
National Museum of the Republic of Kazakhstan, 54 Avenue Tauelsizdik, Astana 010000, Kazakhstan.
Paula J Reimer
Affiliation:
14CHRONO Centre for Climate, the Environment, and Chronology, Queen’s University of Belfast, Belfast BT7 1NN, Northern Ireland, UK.
*
*Corresponding author. Email: [email protected].
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Abstract

We present the first radiocarbon dates of Early Iron Age sites of central Kazakhstan (in total, 24 dates for 16 recently excavated sites). Archaeologically, the sites have been attributed to the Tasmola culture of the Saka period and later Korgantas phase of the early Hun period. The new accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) 14C dates suggest that the majority of analyzed Tasmola sites belong to the beginning of the 8th–5th century cal BC, while Korgantas dates to the 4th–2nd century cal BC. This corresponds with the latest archaeological data for the region; however, it is somewhat contrary to the traditional perception of the chronology of the Scythian period in central Kazakhstan. The new dates suggest the beginning of the Early Scythian period in the region in at least the late 9th or 8th century BC rather than 7th century BC according to the traditional approach.

Keywords

Tasmola cultureKorgantas periodSakaHuncentral KazakhstanEarly Iron Age
Type
Research Article
Information
Radiocarbon , Volume 58 , Issue 1 , March 2016 , pp. 179 - 191
Copyright
© 2016 by the Arizona Board of Regents on behalf of the University of Arizona 

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