Archaeological Finds of Kyrgyzstan
In the summer of 1960, parts of the skeleton of a large mammal, the Trogontherium, were found in the valley of the Jergalan River. Judging by the size of the skeletal remains, the height of this animal reached 5 meters. Trogontheria inhabited this area about 300,000 years ago.
The history of Kyrgyzstan is extremely complex, as its territory lay on the path of invasions by many conquerors and powerful migrations that influenced the composition of the population, the formation of languages, and culture. These included Indo-European tribes in the 2nd millennium BC, the army of Alexander the Great in the 4th century BC, the Huns at the turn of our era, nomadic and semi-nomadic tribes of the Turkic Khaganate in the 6th-7th centuries, Arabs in the early Middle Ages, and the Tatar-Mongols in the 13th century...
Large states were formed (the Western Turkic Khaganate (6th-7th centuries AD), the Karluk Khaganate (8th century AD), etc.) and were destroyed under the blows of conquerors. Periods of flourishing cities and agricultural oases were followed by their demise. New states arose from the ruins of collapsed ones, and endless feudal wars ensued.
As early as the middle of the last century, scientists discovered sunken settlements at the bottom of Issyk-Kul. Waves washed ashore various utensils, human bones, burnt bricks, shards of clay dishes, and coins. Later, diverse archaeological monuments were found on land — the ruins of ancient settlements, stone sculptures ("stone women"), burial mounds, rock paintings, and bronze artifacts.
The study of the remains of fortresses and settlements discovered on land showed that as early as the 6th century, the Issyk-Kul basin was inhabited by nomadic and sedentary Turkic-speaking tribes. Later, numerous cities and settlements emerged here, some of which, such as Ton and Barskaun, were known far beyond the borders of Issyk-Kul.
Scientists continue to find new data that reveal the history of the settlement of the Issyk-Kul region. Bronze artifacts discovered on the shores of Issyk-Kul indicate that as early as a thousand years BC, cattle breeders lived here who were able to produce various metal tools. But perhaps the most astonishing fact is that the area of the resort town of Cholpon-Ata, which now attracts thousands of tourists and vacationers, was once inhabited by primitive people — representatives of the Stone Age. This is evidenced by the discovered stone tools and sites of primitive humans.
Issyk-Kul is shrouded in ancient poetic legends, which have a factual basis, but it lies deep at the bottom of the lake. While in the legends everything is "simple and clear," archaeologists still cannot reach a consensus on what city lies at the bottom of the lake? And how did its flooding occur?
According to some theories, this happened due to the gradual rise in the lake's water level, while others suggest it was the result of a major catastrophe. Archaeological research has led scientists to conclude that two layers of ancient cities are buried under the waters of Issyk-Kul.
The first layer consists of cities that were located in a beautiful valley and unexpectedly sank dozens of meters due to a catastrophe.
The second layer consists of cities that once stood on the shore of the already formed lake and sank during major earthquakes.
Eyewitnesses remember how during the earthquake of 1910 in the areas of Ananyevo, Uytala, and Tyup, land subsidence occurred, creating depressions with cracks, and in some places, coastal thickets ended up underwater. It is likely that in the 6th-15th centuries, stronger tectonic shifts could have caused the settlements to sink to the bottom of Issyk-Kul.
An interesting discovery was made by scientists in the Shamsi Gorge. Here, a burial typical of nomads from the 4th-5th centuries AD was found. In the Shamsi mound, a woman of noble descent was buried. On her face lay a golden mask measuring 20x15 cm. Near her skull were a golden diadem and three pairs of gold pendants — for her braid and ears. Other discoveries included: a medallion (a miniature female bas-relief made of amber and granite in a golden frame), a necklace, four jade bracelets, two massive rings in gold settings, a miniature golden vessel for incense, a silver spoon, and other decorations.
In the 6th-7th centuries AD, the territory of Kyrgyzstan was part of the early feudal state of the Turkic tribes — the Western Turkic Khaganate. Its center, the city of Suab, was located in the valley of the Chu River.
In the 11th century, Kyrgyzstan became part of a new large political union of Turkic tribes led by the Karakhanid dynasty.
The capital of the Karakhanids, Balasagun, was located near present-day Tokmak. This period is associated with the remarkable historical work of the Turkic scholar Yusuf Balasaghuni, "Kutadgu Bilig," and the still scientifically significant dictionary of Turkic languages, "Divan Lugat At-Turk" by Mahmud Kashgari.