SEASONAL CUSTOMS RELATED TO AGRICULTURE IN THE MIDDLE ZARAFSHAN VALLEY

Аннотация

The article discusses the emergence and development of agricultural culture in the Middle Zarafshan Valley, as well as the formation of customs related to it, particularly seasonal customs. Keywords Zarafshan Valley, customs, seasonal rituals, Politimet, agriculture, Navruz, "Sust Khotin" (Lazy Woman), Melon Festival, Bulung’ur, Bog’ibaland, Fig Festival. Introduction.In his speech at the celebration of "Farm Workers Day," President Shavkat Mirziyoyev stated:“A farmer is the sturdy pillar of life, the strong foundation of existence, and this is no exaggeration. The abundance, joy, and prosperity of the people come primarily from the hard work of those who sow seeds and grow invaluable gifts of nature.” The farmer symbolizes vast fields, gardens, various delicacies on our tables, weddings, festive days, and all of life itself.[9] The emergence and development of agricultural culture have played a significant role in the formation and advancement of ancient civilizations. The earliest states in world history emerged in regions where agricultural societies developed. Many tribes and peoples, who lived for thousands of years by hunting and gathering and did not practice agriculture, could not reach the level of statehood. The earliest states emerged in the 4th millennium BC in Mesopotamia (between the two rivers) and ancient Egypt. Over 10,000 years ago, these areas began transitioning from hunting and gathering to agriculture and the domestication of animals — the shift towards pastoralism. Gradually, agriculture spread from these regions to neighboring areas (Caucasus, Iran, Central Asia, India, and China). By the 3rd-2nd millennium BC, there were established historical and 80 Synapses: Insights Across the Disciplines SYNAPSES: Insights Across the Disciplines Volume 1, Issue 5 cultural connections between the ancient Eastern countries. Archaeological findings show that by the middle of the 2nd millennium BC, in Uzbekistan (Surkhandarya region), the process of transitioning to early statehood began, based on the development of ancient agricultural culture. This process had its own unique features and laws of development.Once, A.V. Vinogradov and E.D. Mamedov, based on their comprehensive research, hypothesized that during the 7th-8th millennia BCE, the climate in Central Asia was relatively mild. The fauna and flora were similar to the modern world. As a result, by the end of the Mesolithic and the beginning of the Neolithic, the areas of Central Asia suitable for habitation were settled by primitive humans. However, these people lived in different natural, ecological, and climatic conditions across mountainous, foothill, and plain regions. This led to the emergence of a number of distinctive archaeological cultures: the Joytun culture occupied a small part of the Kopet Dag mountain plains; Hisor and the central and eastern parts of the Pamirs; the Kaltaminor culture in the lower reaches of the Amu Darya; the ancient regions of the Kyzylkum and Zarafshan; the Sazagan culture in the Fergana and Middle Zarafshan regions; and the Ustyurt culture. The Zarafshan Valley in ancient times was a favorable geographical area for human settlement. Like all the major and minor river basins of the Eastern irrigation, the emergence of ancient farming cultures in the middle of Central Asia, particularly in the Zarafshan Valley, was connected to the development of irrigation networks, the construction of waterworks, and the growth of irrigation agriculture.[1.190] Main part.The Zarafshan Valley is located in the central part of Central Asia, between the Turkistan-Oqtov and Zarafshan mountain ranges. The eastern mountainous part of the valley is in Tajikistan, while the western foothill and plain parts lie within Uzbekistan. The valley was formed through tectonic processes. The Zarafshan Valley begins from the Zarafshan glacier (at an elevation of 2775 meters) and stretches westward to the sandy desert (at an elevation of 185 meters), covering a distance of 781 kilometers. Over this distance, the valley runs in a westward, southwestward direction, gradually descending and widening. In the eastern mountainous part of the valley, there are six terraces. Up to the city of Panjakent (300 km away), the valley is narrow and deep, with the Turkistan and Zarafshan mountain ranges rising steeply on either side. The Zarafshan River, in its upper reaches, has created a broad valley (4-5 km wide) due to glacial movement. At the point where the Kishtutsoy River flows into the Zarafshan, the valley becomes very narrow, with the steep mountain slopes rising sharply from the riverbanks. In the lower part of the valley, 81 Synapses: Insights Across the Disciplines SYNAPSES: Insights Across the Disciplines Volume 1, Issue 5 it widens, and once it enters Uzbekistan, its width increases to 60–70 kilometers in some places (in the Bukhara region).During periods of flooding, water inundations also occurred, and in the Zarafshan Valley, this was refer