KazNU archaeologists investigated methods of water supply in arid zones of Kazakhstan

The Department of Archaeology, Ethnology and Museology of the Faculty of History of Al-Farabi Kazakh National University successfully implemented the scientific project of the fundamental research "Traditional methods of water supply in arid zones of Kazakhstan: ethnological and geoarchaeological approaches".

The relevance of the project is dictated by the important role of water in arid zones of Kazakhstan in relation to traditional pastoral society. Despite the diversity and originality of methods of water extraction and storage, so far this issue has not been studied systematically. The study of the history of traditional methods of water supply by means of wells, water catchment devices, and water use is of great importance for ethnological and archaeological science.

Tattigul Kartaeva, Professor of the Department of Archaeology, Ethnology and Museology, Candidate of Historical Sciences, acted as the scientific supervisor of the project.

During three years, research, field, cameral and laboratory works were carried out. All available information on relict and active water wells and collectors was analyzed, ethnological data was collected through analysis of local documents and interviews, hydrological, ecological and archaeological contexts were studied, and samples were collected for laboratory analysis.

The project aims to investigate traditional ways of water collection and use in the arid zones of Kazakhstan in order to compile a comprehensive database revealing their diversity, originality and chronology. Creation of a new theoretical and methodological approach to the study of peculiarities of nature use of Kazakhs.

As a result of the study, the monograph "Atlas of water extraction devices in arid zones of Kazakhstan" was published and introduced into scientific circulation in the publishing house "Kazak University".

Press service of Al-Farabi Kazakh National University