SOME ISSUES CONCERNING THE ARCHAEOLOGY AND ECOLOGY OF KHOREZM FROM THE 10TH MILLENNIUM BCE TO THE END OF THE 6TH CENTURY BCE

Аннотация

This article explores the ancient period of ecological history, focusing on issues related to archaeo-ecology in the territories of the Khorezm oasis, based on archaeological materials. Keywords: ecology, Neolithic, Eneolithic, Bronze Age, Iron Age, daily life of humans, economic activities, growth rates of productive forces, land geology, Amu Darya, Syr Darya, Kuvandarya, Uzboy, Sarykamysh region. Contemporary researchers and specialists in the history of ecology analyze the history of human economic activities and regard the history of socio-ecological processes as the initial stage, represented bythehunting-gathering culture phase1. This stage covers the period from ancient times up to 10,000–8,000 years before the Common Era (BCE). It is known that in the earliest phase of human society, people initially relied on gathering and hunting for their subsistence over a long period. This situation reflects humanity's complete dependence on natural conditions and the availability of food resources. The transition ofhumanity tothe agrarian culture stage inouroasis took place inthefirst millennium BCE. The Neogene period, which spans approximately from 25 to 10 million years ago, was a significant phase in the geological history of the region, including the modern-day Aral Sea area and the Kyzylkum Desert. During this period, extensive lowlands formed in the region, which were part of ancient basins and plains. Later, during more recent geological periods, the Aral depression was flooded for the second time by the waters of the Caspian Sea. This transgression led tothe depositionofthick layers ofsand and clay ontheseafloor2. The natural geographical map of Central Asia presents a diverse and colorful landscape, and its current natural geographical valuation is no exception. The Amu Darya plays a significant role in the formation of the basins of the Lower Amu Darya, Sarykamysh, and the western Aral Sea. According to geological research findings, the waters of the Amu Darya carry various sediments from itsupper stream, forcefully covering theSurkhan oasis areabefore turning westward. The Eastern Khorasan mountains, acting as a barrier, cause the Amu Darya to flow through Akhtam and Kelkar after passing the city of Karshi. During the early Quaternary period, it 1ПрохоровБ.Б.Экологиячеловека:эволюционныйаспект/Эволюционнаяиисторическаяантропоэкология. -М.,1994.-С.47-65. 2БаратовН,МаматқуловМ,РафиқовА,ЎртаОсиёгеграфияси.Тошкент,“Ўзбекистон”,2002,283бет http://www.internationaljournal.co.in/index.php/jasass 608 Volume15Issue03, March2025 Impact factor: 2019: 4.679 2020: 5.015 2021: 5.436, 2022: 5.242, 2023: 6.995, 2024 7.75 collected water from the five tributaries of the Zarafshan River and eventually flowed into the Caspian Seathrough awide channel3. By the end of the Quaternary geological period, the Sarykamysh basin, the Lower Amu Darya, and the Aral Sea basin had formed as low-lying areas. During this geological period, the formation of the Aral Sea was completed. It is important to note that the activity of the Amu Darya and Syr Darya rivers played a significant role in the formation of the Aral and Sarykamysh depressions inthe region. The Akchadarya tributary of the Amu Darya, along with the Janadarya and Kuvandarya tributaries of the Syr Darya, contributed to the formation of the northeastern Aral Sea basins as they merged and flowed into thearea4. The paleoecology of Khorezm is closely linked to the Quaternary period of Earth's geology. Archaeological research has revealed that during the 7th to 6th millennia BCE, the dynamics of the Amu Darya led to the formation of water basins and lake shores across the vast lowlands stretching from the Karakum Desert to the shores of the Aral Sea. These areas, with their anthropogenic landscapes and massifs, provided favorable conditions for human economic activities. According to the research of E.B. Bizhanov, the Ustyurt Plateau and the Sultan Uvays monuments were favorable environments for tribes whose way of life during the late Stone Age and Mesolithic periods was primarily based on hunting and gathering. These regions offered 3ЎртаОсиётабийхаритасиТ-2005 4ЎртаОсиёнитабиийгеграфиясиТошкент,2005. http://www.internationaljournal.co.in/index.php/jasass 609 Volume15Issue03, March2025 Impact factor: 2019: 4.679 2020: 5.015 2021: 5.436, 2022: 5.242, 2023: 6.995, 2024 7.75 suitable conditions for their subsistence and livelihood5. According to the research of S.P. Tolstov and A.V. Vinogradov, by the 5th millennium BCE, the rise in the water level of the Akchadarya tributary of the Amu Darya led to the filling of the depressions between the sand hills in the northeastern border of the Yonbosqala hills. This created favorable ecological conditions within the anthropogenic landscape, allowing our ancestors to engage in hunting and gathering activities in the region. These conditions supported theirsubsistence and livelihoodstrategies during that period6. During the developmen