Archaeological excavations in the medieval city of Saraishyk in 2021

Abstract

The article introduces the preliminary results of archaeological work carried out in 2021 at the medieval settlement of Saraishyk. The monument is located 45 km north of Atyrau. During this period, work was carried out at Excavation no. 3, which was started in 2019. During the research, the structure of the Golden Horde time was recorded, in which adjacent rooms and long corridors were identified. Finds in the form of coins of the Uzbek Khan and Janibek Khan period, found on the floors of the premises, allow us to date the construction to the middle of the 14^th century. Studies of previous years have shown that the cultural layer of the city is strongly mixed due to the use of the territory of the monument for burials and buildings. Nevertheless, in some areas, the remains of mud brick structures located at the level of the lower cultural layer have been preserved much better. Most of the excavation materials are represented by fragments of ceramics and animal bones. The thoughtful layout, expressed in the form of straight streets, buildings arranged in rows, the abundance of artifacts in the cultural layer indicate that the city was a major cultural and political center.