Аннотация
Between 2018-2022, the archaeological study of the medieval town of Kyshkaka (11th–15th centuries AD) represented a new investigative focus on the pre-Mongol and post-Mongol history of Syr Darya delta and, more specifically, of the Upper Jana Darya basin. As a result of these studies, Kyshkala (Barchinkent), located at the centre of the delta, joining Jankent at the estuary and Sygnak at its mouth, one of the three richest medieval urban zones of the delta region, endowed with the highest potential for irrigation and urbanization, has been examined. In addition to excavations, this study benefited from the fruitful application of geoarchaeological methods, macro-scale surveying and mapping, climate-environmental analyses, radiometric dating, and statistical evaluations. Supported by the systematization of historical sources and archaeological reports, the reconstruction of the development of the urban complexes of the region, the analysis of the hydrological and water supply systems, and the absolute dating of Kyshkala town have been attempted. The research results allow the discussion of some crucial points of the history of the Upper Jana Darya basin, in particular, concerning the socio-cultural continuity between the pre-Mongol and post-Mongol periods, which was broken only with the establishment of Timurid rule, and the important function played by Kyshkala as a powerful political and Muslim centre that blossomed under the Golden Horde, influencing all the surrounding region from the 12th to the 14th centuries.