Güneybatı Altaylarda Demir Çağı Madencilik Merkezi Akbauır Yerleşimi
Mehmet Kutlu, Leila KutluErken Devir Türk Madencilik Tarihi açısından en önemli yerlerin başında Altaylar gelmektedir. Altaylarda demir üretiminin başlangıcı ve bu faaliyetlerin yürütüldüğü üretim merkezlerinin tespiti meselesi bölge tarihinin en önemli sorunlardan biridir. Söz konusu demircilik ve madencilik faaliyetlerinin bilimsel olarak araştırmasına yönelik Altayların güney batı eteklerinde Akbauır’da Prof. Dr. Zainolla Samashev başkanlığındaki bir arkeoloji ekibince 2019 yılından itibaren kazı çalışmaları yürütülmektedir. Akbauır, Kazakistan Cumhuriyeti’nin Doğu Kazakistan Vilayeti Ulan ilçesi sınırları içindeki Sagyr ve Besterek köyleri arasında ve Korcınbay Dağı’nın batı eteklerinde konumlanmaktadır. Kazı çalışmaları sonucunda Akbauır’ın sadece maden çıkarma ve işleme atölyelerine sahip bir üretim merkezi olmasının ötesinde hayvancılık ve tarımsal üretim yapılan, seramik fırınları ile üretim atölyelerini içinde barındıran 8 farklı lokasyonda mesken grupları veya mahalleler şeklinde örgütlenen oldukça büyük bir yerleşim merkezi olduğu anlaşılmıştır. Özellikle taş aletler içinde tarımsal faaliyetlerde kullanılan çapalar, madencilik faaliyetlerinde kullanılan kazma, çapa, kürekler; maden işleme, döküm faaliyetlerine yönelik potalar, döküm kalıpları dikkat çekici buluntulardandır. Akbauır’da şimdiye kadar ele geçen seramik buluntuların %1’inin Geç Tunç Çağına büyük çoğunluğunu ise erken Demir Çağına ait formlardan oluşmasından hareketle yerleşim Erken Demir Çağına (MÖ 10.-8. yy) tarihlendirilmektedir. Akbauır’da ele geçen maden cüruflarına yönelik arkeometalurjik yöntemlerle, Eşleşmiş Plazma Kütle Spektrometresi (ICPMS) ile yaptığımız analiz sonuçlarına göre Akbauır’ın Altaylarda Erken Demir Çağına tarihlenen ve tespit edilen en eski demir madencilik ve üretim merkezi olduğu ortaya çıkmıştır. Bu çalışma 2019-2023 yılları arasında yürütülen kazı araştırmalarında ulaşılan öncül sonuçlara odaklanmakta ve arkeometalurjik analizleri yapılan maden cüruflarının sonuçlarının Erken Devir Türk veya Ön-Türk Madencilik Tarihi açısından önemini değerlendirmekte ve yorumlamaktadır.
The Settlement of Akbauyr: Iron Age Metallurgic Center in Southwestern Altai
Mehmet Kutlu, Leila KutluThe Altai region is a significant territory in the history of Early or Proto-Turkic metallurgy. Understanding the origins of iron production in the Altai and identifying production centers are key challenges in reconstructing the region’s metallurgical history. Since 2019, the East Kazakhstan Archaeological Expedition, ed by Prof. Dr. Zainolla Samashev, has been excavating the Akbauyr archaeological complex, located in the western foothills of the Altai Mountains. This site lies between the villages of Sagyr and Besterek in the Ulan district of East Kazakhstan Province, on the western slopes of the Korzhynbay Mountains. The excavation aims to explore early metallurgical practices and mining activities in the region. Fieldwork has revealed that Akbauyr functioned as both a production center, with workshops for mineral extraction and processing, and a large settlement divided into eight distinct neighborhoods. These areas supported animal husbandry, agriculture, and craft production, including ceramic kilns and metallurgical workshops. Notable finds include stone tools such as agricultural hoes, mining pickaxes, and shovels, as well as crucibles and molds for mineral processing and casting. Approximately 99% of the ceramic finds at Akbauyr date to the early Iron Age, with about 1% from the late Bronze Age. Based on these findings, the settlement is dated to the early Iron Age, around the 10th–8th centuries BC. Elemental analysis of slag samples, conducted using Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS), has confirmed Akbauyr as the oldest identified iron production center in the Altai region. This article presents the preliminary results of excavations conducted between 2019 and 2023 and highlights their significance for understanding the Early or Proto-Turkic history of metallurgy.
The Altai Mountains are a region of profound significance in the history of Early or ProtoTurkic metallurgy. The southwestern Altai hosts some of the world's richest ore belts, which have provided essential raw materials for the advancement of metallurgical practices. These resources include the Kalba-Naryn gold belts, extensive polymetallic ore belts (containing tin, lead, zinc, copper, platinoids, and rare elements) in the northeastern and southeastern areas, and iron ore belts located in the southern Bukhtyrma River region.
Until recently, research on the early Iron Age in Eastern Kazakhstan primarily focused on archaeological data from burial grounds associated with the Mayemer Culture. This culture, exemplified by sites such as Mayemer, Solnechniy Belok, Kurtu, Izmailovka, and others, is distinguished by the emergence of horseback riding, the Scythian animal style in art, and absence of iron tools.
Today, Akbauyr stands as the only known settlement complex in East Kazakhstan containing the Late Bronze Age monuments, with the setllement neighborhoods dating to the Early Iron Age. The complex encompasses settlement clusters, petroglyphs, mines, workshops, and burial grounds, offering a unique and comprehensive view of the period.
Excavations at Akbauyr, directed by Prof. Dr. Zainolla Samashev since 2019, aim to uncover the characteristics of early mining and iron smelting practices in the region. Findings indicate that Akbauyr was not merely a production center but also a sizable settlement, systematically organized into eight distinct residential groups. These areas supported a range of activities, including animal husbandry, agriculture, and craft production, and featured facilities such as ceramic kilns and metallurgical workshops.
The Akbauyr I settlement, situated in the northern part of the site, has been the focus of the most extensive excavations. This area contains the primary settlement structures and production facilities, making it a key zone for understanding the site's organization and functionality. A prominent structure in Akbauyr I, believed to be a dwelling, covers approximately 60 m² and is oriented along a northeast-southwest axis. The building's walls exhibit varying lengths, and its architecture suggests a wooden pyramidal lantern roof—an element commonly associated with the vernacular building traditions of the Altai and Siberia. This roof design would have allowed ventilation and light, particularly important in harsh climatic conditions.
Beyond Akbauyr I, other residential groups, including Akbauyr II, III, VI, and VII, also exhibit architectural diversity. These groups feature rectangular or oval buildings with rounded corners, often accompanied by adjacent spaces interpreted as outbuildings. These structures likely served multifunctional purposes, combining residential, storage, and workshop activities.
Archaeological finds from these areas include hearths, furnaces, and a variety of artifacts such as bronze tools, stone implements, bone objects, and ceramic fragments. These discoveries provide critical insights into the material culture and daily lives of the settlement's inhabitants, as well as their technological capabilities in mining and metallurgy.
The site contains a diverse array of furnaces and hearths, varying in size, design, and construction materials, reflecting advanced metallurgical and domestic practices. At Akbauyr I, an oval hearth constructed from stone materials was uncovered at the center of the main dwelling, possibly serving as a focal point for domestic or communal activities. Additionally, a stone furnace with a circular base lined with clay was identified near the main dwelling, indicating its central role in metallurgical production.
Across Settlement I, approximately ten circular or oval stone hearths have been uncovered, distributed throughout the area. At Akbauyr III, a domed clay-lined hearth was discovered, adding to the variety of furnace types of present. These hearths likely served multifunctional purposes, ranging from heating and cooking to ore processing, demonstrating the complex integration of domestic and industrial activities within the settlement.
Animal remains recovered at the site provide significant insights into the subsistence strategies of Akbauyr's inhabitants. Domesticated animal bones—including cattle, sheep, goats, horses, camels, and dogs—indicate extensive animal husbandry. Meanwhile, the presence of bones from wild species such as wolves, foxes, boars, and deer suggest that hunting also played an important role in their economy, supplementing domesticated livestock resources.
Preliminary analysis of artifacts reveals the multifunctional nature of stone tools at Akbauyr. Approximately 60% of the tools are associated with mining and metallurgy, 25% with agricultural activities, and 12% with ceramic production. This distribution underscores the settlement’s primary focus on metal production while supporting a diverse range of supplementary activities.
Ceramic analysis indicates that the majority of ceramic artifacts date to the early Iron Age (10th–8th century BC), with only about 1% attributed to the late Bronze Age. These findings further establish Akbauyr as a key early Iron Age settlement and production center in the region.
Elemental analysis of four metallurgical slag samples from Settlements I and VI, conducted using Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS), revealed diverse metallurgical practices at Akbauyr. One sample was identified as copper slag, another as silicate slag with no significant metallic content, and the remaining two as iron slags. The high iron concentrations in the iron slag samples, combined with the absence of copper traces, confirm Akbauyr's role as a significant iron production center at the Altai during the early Iron Age.
