Ecology and subsistence at the Mesolithic and Bronze Age site of Aigyrzhal-2, Naryn valley, Kyrgyzstan

Abstract

River valleys in the Tien Shan Mountains of Kyrgyzstan have served as corridors for human dispersal since the Palaeolithic but little information exists on the history of human occupation in this remote and inaccessible region. Here, we report the results of a multidisciplinary study of Airgyrzhal-2, a high elevation (2005 m) site in the Naryn valley in central Kyrgyzstan. Two main occupation horizons were recognized, the earliest belonging to the Mesolithic (12th millennium cal. BC) and a later one dating from the Bronze Age (first half of the 2nd millennium cal. BC). Land snail analyses from the two horizons yielded almost identical assemblages of species of dry, open environments. Archaeobotanical data, however, revealed marked differences. The greater representation of willow/poplar (Salix/Populus) in the charcoal from the Mesolithic suggests more focused activity along the river, which might have been closer to the site at this time. The occurrence of spruce (Picea) and other species in the Bronze Age charcoal indicates exploitation of resources from more distant upland locations. The occurrence of the remains of cereals, including both grains and chaff, provides unexpected evidence for both consumption and cultivation of wheat and barley at this high elevation during the Bronze Age.

Biomolecular Evidence of Early Human Occupation of a High-Altitude Site in Western Central Asia During the Holocene

“…Evidence of human occupancy during the Bronze Age is provided by archeological excavations at the closely nearby site Aigyrzhal-2 (2,005 m a.s.l.) in central Kyrgyzstan, ∼97 km northeast of Lake Chatyr Kol (Motuzaite Matuzeviciute et al, 2017). Domestic animal remains, such as horse and ovicaprines, and remains of cereals (grains and chaff), indicate that humans in the Tian Shan mountain valleys developed agricultural interests during this period (Motuzaite Matuzeviciute et al, 2017).…”

“…in central Kyrgyzstan, ∼97 km northeast of Lake Chatyr Kol (Motuzaite Matuzeviciute et al, 2017). Domestic animal remains, such as horse and ovicaprines, and remains of cereals (grains and chaff), indicate that humans in the Tian Shan mountain valleys developed agricultural interests during this period (Motuzaite Matuzeviciute et al, 2017). Yet, at the high-altitude site Lake Chatyr Kol pollen analysis did not indicate agricultural practice.…”

A biodiverse package of southwest Asian grain crops facilitated high-elevation agriculture in the central Tien Shan during the mid-third millennium BCE

“…The free-threshing wheat grains correspond to compact wheat forms noted in the Dzhungar Mountains of Semirech’ye [6,18,19]. Furthermore, archaeobotanical research in Kyrgyzstan identified compact wheat forms at the sites of Uch Kurbu, Aigyrzhal-2, and Mol Bulak located in the highland regions (Fig 1c) [15,17], which suggests that compact wheat morphotypes are adapted to high elevations. Other researchers have also noted the suitability of compact wheats for agriculturalists in marginal environments of south and east Asia, such as monsoonal areas of India and the highlands of the Tibetan plateau [14,36].…”

“…The presence of two types of free-threshing wheat rachis internodes (Fig 3) and the large diversity of wheat grain morphotypes found at Chap II and at other sites in Kyrgyzstan, such as Argyrzhal-2 and Uch-Kurbu [17], suggest that probably both tetraploid and hexaploid free-threshing wheat were cultivated. In China, archaeobotanical research mainly reports grain morphology, thus offering opportunities for future analysis of rachis internodes to test whether both tetraploid and hexaploid free-threshing wheats were cultivated there and, possibly, to resolve the timing and dispersal routes of these species.…”

“…It has also been noted that small morphotypes of wheat were selected for cultivation as wheat moved eastward to China, since diminutive and rounder wheats may have been better suited to the culinary traditions dominated by small-grained Chinese millets [14]. On the contrary, additional research has argued that compact morphotypes of both wheat and barley recovered archaeologically in environmental margins, such as the highlands of Central Asia is strongly influenced by environmental adaptation rather than culinary preferences [15,17–19].…”