The Sakas’ Tribes of The Aral Region, Khorezm, and Regional Relations

Abstract

The Aral Sea region, historically pivotal in Central Asia, was a cultural crossroads due to its geopolitical and economic significance. This study investigates the economic systems, ethnic formations, and cultural legacies of the nomadic tribes that inhabited this area from the Bronze to the early Iron Age. Archaeological evidence, including burial mounds like Northern and Southern Tagisken, reveals significant socio-economic transformations in the 9th–7th centuries BCE. These changes involved the evolution from semi-nomadic to fully nomadic pastoralism, influenced by innovations such as seasonal grazing, transportation advances, and water extraction techniques. Ethnographically, the early nomadic tribes, including the Saka, exhibited cultural affinities with the Andronovo and Srubnaya cultures, as well as connections to southern civilizations. Anthropological analyses reveal a mixed Europoid-Mongoloid ancestry, reflecting migrations from the Altai. Burial practices, as seen in the Uygarak and Sakarchaga sites, underscore shared traditions within the "Scytho-Siberian" cultural sphere, blending cremation and inhumation rituals. Artistic and material culture, including bronze ornaments and animal motifs, highlight a shared "Scythian-Siberian" artistic style with religious and social significance. The findings emphasize the region’s role in the development of nomadic pastoralism and its cultural interrelations across Central Asia. Recent studies build on foundational works by scholars such as S.P. Tolstov and O.A. Vishnevskaya, providing deeper insights into the Saka tribes' ethnogenesis, material culture, and burial customs. These discoveries affirm the Aral Sea region’s importance in understanding the broader historical and cultural dynamics of the Eurasian steppe during the early Iron Age.