Abstract
The article presents results of the research work on the kurgans of the Saka time in Jetysu. Based on the analysis of burial construction elements it is assumed that socially important people were buried in the Kaspan kurgans. Some elements of complex funeral and commemorative events were revealed. A number of elements such as parameters of grave construction, presence of earthwork, clay filling, dromos, skull trepanation allow speaking about elite features of such burials. In 2013-2015 the expedition of the A.Kh. Margulan Institute of Archaeology with the Legabue Study and Research Centre (Venice, Italy) conducted research of a large burial ground Kaspan (Kerbulak District, the Almaty region). Besides the authors, on the Kazakh side such researchers as K.A. Jambulatov, T.M. Duisenov, D.B. Duisenbay took an active part in field works and Massimo Kazarin (Legabue Study and Research Center) and Nicolo Fiore (University Ca ‘Foscari) participated in the work on the Italian side. The studied area is a part of south-east Jetysu (From Kazakh “jety” - seven, “su” - river. The Land of Seven Rivers). The region includes different natural landscape zones: mountains with eternal snow, vast piedmont plains, sandy deserts, numerous rivers. In the north it is bounded by the Lake Balkhash. The geographic region, called the Ile-Balkhash basin, is identified with the names of the Jetysu seven major rivers. The largest river is the lie. The rest of the rivers are Karatal, Bien, Aksu, Lepsy, Baskan, Sarkand originate in Jetysu Alatau. A large number of these mountain rivers flow into the Lake Balkhash. Monuments near the village Kaspan are confined to the towering points on the ground, they are located in the valley of the Bizhe (Byzhy) river. The valley is surrounded by the Jetysu Alatau mountains. It is known that treasure was found in the Bizhe valley, in an area of modern Algabas village. It belongs to the early Saka time.