Abstract
The article presents some generalizations based on the results of the historical and archaeological research of Betpakdala, the desert region of Kazakhstan which is insufficiently explored. All the written sources of the 20th century were briefly analyzed, including the little-known archival documents of A.I. Shrenk. The authors consider the history of archaeological studies of the monuments in the region, and also introduce the results of their own research. The biggest number of archaeological sites is found mainly in the north strip of Betpakdala. In the west part is the area of the river Baikonyr where a large cluster of petroglyphs and other monuments was opened. In North Betpakdal the research work on the monuments of the Atasu River basin has now been resumed.