A medieval settlement was discovered four years ago near Kapal village in the Aksu district of Zhetysu region. Archaeological excavations are currently underway. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Sputnik Kazakhstan.
Galymzhan Ospanov, director of the "Center for the Protection of Historical and Cultural Heritage of Zhetysu Region," spoke about the progress of the research. The historical settlement is located 7 km northeast of Kapal village, at the upper confluence of several small rivers originating from the western spur of the Zhetysu Alatau – the Karatau mountains.
"This settlement was found by an entrepreneur from Tekeli city, Roman Martynenko. He contacted specialists from the Al-Farabi Institute, they came, verified, and said 'this is a settlement.' Since there was no initial funding, Roman Martynenko spent his own money for two years, paying archaeologists. This year, research work continues," said Galymzhan Ospanov.
Currently, students from the Faculty of History of Al-Farabi Kazakh National University and students from Zhetysu University named after I. Zhansugurov are conducting excavations. "This is a settlement from the 10th-12th centuries. The total area is 300 square meters. So far, animal bones and pottery have been found. Archaeologists are studying them in laboratories," said Galymzhan Ospanov.
German specialists have also shown interest in this site. An archaeobotanist is conducting special research to determine what grain crops the medieval city's inhabitants consumed. The main goal of this activity is to preserve the country's historical and cultural heritage, study and introduce the region's historical and cultural heritage into scientific circulation, and increase young people's responsibility towards nature and historical sites. It should be noted that archaeological excavations have been carried out since 2023.