A joint expedition of scientists from Toraighyrov University and Altai State University made a discovery in the May  district of Pavlodar region. During the work in the Kalmakkyrgan Mountains, traces of nomads of the 8th century were discovered, which shed new light on the life of the ancient peoples of the region.

In August, a joint archaeological expedition of Toraighyrov University under the leadership of Candidate of Historical Sciences, Ilya Mertz and Altai State University under the leadership of Doctor of Historical Sciences, Sergey Grushin took place in the May district of Pavlodar region in the Kalmakkyrgan Mountains, where archaeological research of the Akkain settlement was continued.

As a result of the work carried out on the site, the remains of rectangular outbuildings built from massive stone blocks were studied.  A ceramic complex, a number of stone and iron products, as well as a representative collection of osteological materials reflecting the development of the material culture and economy of the medieval nomads of North-Eastern Saryarka were obtained from the cultural layer.

- The uniqueness of the monument lies in the fact that it is single-layered and reflects an extremely short stage of the functioning of the housing site within the 8th century AD, which makes it possible to establish its exact chronology and allows us to consider it as a reference complex for studying the settlements of medieval nomads in the region. It should be noted that the research being conducted opens up a new promising direction in the archeology of  Irtysh region, associated with the study of the life support system of the medieval population of the region, which has not been undertaken before, - the scientists noted.

In addition, the work is being carried out on the basis of a cooperation agreement between universities and within the framework of the project "The Turkic World of the "Greater Altai": Unity and Diversity in History and Modernity."