Karkaraly Korgantas - Ancient Cult Object in Central Kazakhstan

Karkaraly Korgantas is a large

archaeological site in Central Kazakhstan, known in sources as the “Kalmyk

Wall”. Based on new research conducted at the site and in its surroundings, an

interpretation of the monument as a ritual and cult one is given. Karkaraly

Korgantas includes various landscape elements: rocks, passages in rocks, flat

areas on the tops of rocks, small outcrops, as well as man-made structures:

stone walls and alleys. There are five main elements in the structure of the

monument - two long stone walls running along the top of the ridge, a central

part with a stele, a natural platform in the southern part of the complex, a

rectangular structure to the west of the central part. The study of similar

types of cult objects in adjacent territories made it possible to attribute

this monument to the Late Bronze Age. According to researchers, the monument is

associated with the cult activities of ancient communities of Karkaraly and the

observation of the sunrise on the day of the spring equinox.<o:p></o:p>