New data on the anthropology of the Turkic population of Zhetysu

Рамазан Жаксыбайулы Жанузак, Kulyan Sikhymbaeva, Ainash Childebayeva

Gumilyov Journal of History, 2025

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DOI 10.32523/3080-129x-2025-150-1-2-27
Data confidence 70 medium
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Abstract

The article examines the anthropological features of the Zhetysu Turkic population using the example of the Samsy monument located in the Zhambyl district of the Almaty region. According to the results of radiocarbon dating of C14 and analysis of funeral rites and tools, the early Turkic burials of the burial ground date back to the VIII-X centuries. The purpose of this study is to introduce new data on the anthropology of the Zhetysu Turkic population into scientific circulation and fill in the gaps in a little-studied area in the history of the region. The skeletal remains of people buried at the Samsy monument were processed at the Laboratory of Physical Anthropology of the Margulan Institute of Archeology in Almaty. The paper analyzes the morphological features of the skulls, dental system, and postcranial skeleton of individuals from the Samsy burial ground. For this purpose, measurements of skulls and elements of the postcranial skeleton were carried out using craniometric and osteometric programs. According to the results of craniological studies, it turned out that several anthropological types represent the people buried in this burial ground: Caucasoid, Mongoloid and mixed. Traces of unintentional artificial «beshik» deformation are recorded on several skulls. Such changes in the shape of the head are usually associated with prolonged lying of the child on the back in the cradle. Based on the study of the dental system of individuals, it is concluded that the odontological status of the early Zhetysu Turks is characterized as Caucasoid with the presence of East Asian Mongoloid elements. The diversity of the anthropological composition is observed among the Turkic population of Kazakhstan and nearby regions. According to the results of the intra-group analysis of postcrania, it can be noted that male skeletons belong to the «steppe» morphological type, characterized by medium or increased limb bone lengths and balanced proportions. This type was widespread in Eurasia in previous eras. The body length calculated by the size of the right femurs according to the method of K. Pearson and A. Lee averaged 166.9 cm, according to S. Dupertuis and D. Hadden 173.4 cm.