The scholars of the Archeological Research Center of S. Toraighyrov Pavlodar State University have closed the regular field season at the Borly Settlement.

As the result of archeological works, organized by A. Kh. Margulan Archeological Research Center of PSU, the researches of the settlement of the Neolithic period (VI-V Millennia B.C.) have been conducted at Lake Borly in the Lebyazhinsk Region. A great amount of new archeological material (such as ceramics, stone and bone artifacts) has been discovered; the impressive palezoological collection has been gathered.

According to the head of the expedition, candidate of historical sciences, associate professor Viktor Merz, the articles discovered are analogous to previously found ones. The Borly Settlement is the first stratified monument of the Stone Age in Priirtyshye from 50s of XX. “As opposed to other monuments a great amount of ceramics and osteologic material has been found at this place. Usually at the place of the Neolithic period’s sites we used to discover only stone articles, and no remains of habitats, ceramics and bone articles had been found there before”, tells Viktor Karlovich.

Once again the artifacts, discovered at the place of ancient people’s sites, prove that the population of North East Kazakhstan used to be involved in domestic cattle breeding. Palezoological materials have made it possible to prove this hypothesis. This is a great breakthrough in the archeology of Kazakhstan, as it postpones the age of domesticated animals on the territory of Kazakhstan for another two millennia. Earlier, it was considered that on the territory of Kazakhstan the cattle breeding arose 4000 years ago, but new materials prove that it had occurred earlier than thought. In our country the research on this period is being conducted by research centers of Kostanay, Petropavlsk, Aktay and Pavlodar. According to the results of preliminary investigations the age of the monument is about 6000-7000 years, and it makes it possible to trace the dynamics of development of the New Stone Age cultures of Priirtyshye during a long period of time. Archeologists have sent some samples for radiocarbon analysis, that will be conducted by the McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research at the University of Cambridge, in order to specify the age of the settlement. Soon the first results will come. In the opinion of Viktor Karlovich the monument will bring about quite a few breakthroughs.

Students, who are future historians and archeologists, have participated in the work of the expedition. Here students have learned the technique of performing archeological works, conducting excavations, processing materials. Later, they will continue their research of the material collected at the laboratory of the Archeological Research Center.

It should be noted that the University’s expedition has been conducting research at Lake Borly since 2011. During this period of time a huge amount of work has been done, the richest material has been collected. Precious artifacts, including those of the Early Stone Age, are preserved at the center’s museum, and, of course, new breakthroughs will be made owing to them!