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SOME OBSERVATIONS ON THE SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC LIFE OF THE
ANCIENT KHOREZM PEOPLE DURING THE BRONZE AGE
Sharkiya Rakhmatullaeva
a first-stage student of the History Department at Mamun University.
Abstract:
This article examines the social and economic life of the population during the Bronze
Age in ancient Khorezm and its surrounding regions, based on the results of archaeological
excavations conducted at various sites.
Keywords:
Khorezm, Amu Darya, Bronze Age, economy, social life, productive forces,
agriculture, Tozabagyab, craftsmanship, governance, military democracy.
It is known that during the Soviet era, under the influence of “Communist ideology”,
which permeated all aspects of life, the Khorezm Archaeological-Ethnographic Expedition, led
by S.P. Tolstov, conducted extensive archaeological research over more than half a century in
the lower Amu Darya, Sarikamish, and Uzboy regions. The results of these studies, published in
various forms such as literature, dissertations, collections, and articles, provide valuable insights
into the history of our ancestors.
The social, economic, and cultural-ethnic relations of Khorezm during the Bronze Age
exhibit unique characteristics.
The research of S.P. Tolstov, M.A. Itina, and Ya.G. Gulomov highlights the development
and distinctive features of Bronze Age society. It is worth noting that the study of Uzbekistan's
Bronze Age history began in the Khorezm oasis.
According to the research of A.S. Kes and A.V. Andrianov, around the 5th millennium
BCE, the Uzboy, Sarikamish, Okchadarya, and Aral regions experienced significant flooding of
the Amu Darya, leading to the formation of water basins and lake systems that served human
interests
. During this period, the Mesolithic people living around the Sultan Uvays mountain
sought new economic resources and settled in the Kumtepa hills near the Okchadarya basin.
By the beginning of the 4th-3rd millennium BCE, the main flow of the Amu Darya was
directed towards the Aral Sea through the Okchadarya tributary, creating water basins in the
southern and northern Okchadarya, Tuymuyin, Kaparas, and Sarikamish regions, where early
human settlements were established. S.P. Tolstov referred to the southern Okchadarya water
basins and lakes as the "Venice of Central Asia." It is appropriate to introduce the term
"Khorezm Venice" into historical literature to describe the numerous water basins formed
between the Kumtepa hills during the Neolithic and Eneolithic periods. Historical records
1
Кесь А.С. Антропогенное воздействие на формирование аллювиально-дельтовых равнин Амударьи
//Культура и искусство древнего Хорезма//М.”Наука”, 1981.стр.73; Вайнберг Б.И. Экология Приаралья в
древности и средневековье //Этнографическое обозрение //М.”Наука”, № 1, 1997.стр.26, рис.2. Карта дельт
Амударьи.
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indicate that human activity continued in the southern Okchadarya basin and Kaparas oasis from
the mid-3rd millennium BCE to the 2nd millennium BCE
.
The social, economic, and ethnic processes of Khorezm's Bronze Age society are vividly
illustrated by archaeological and anthropological artifacts found in settlements. Between the
mid-3rd millennium BCE and the 2nd millennium BCE, Khorezm's Bronze Age society
gradually developed. Archaeological findings suggest that Bronze Age tribes were located in the
southern Okchadarya basin and the Kaparas oasis of the Tuymuyin system, along the shores of
water basins and adjacent lowland areas. According to S.P. Tolstov, during the Bronze Age,
agricultural tribes from southern Turkmenistan and pastoral tribes from the northeast migrated to
Khorezm, creating the Suyargand and Tozabagyab cultures
Research on the migration of the Suyargand culture bearers from southern Turkmenistan
to the Okchadarya basin is not supported by archaeological evidence. By the 2nd millennium
BCE, a sharp rise in the Amu Darya's water level caused the Okchadarya tributary to flood,
creating numerous water basins and lakes in the southern Okchadarya region. Over time, these
basins dried up, turning into barren land.
In these barren lands, Bronze Age tribes engaged in farming and animal husbandry.
According to K. Sobirov, the Suyargand people were descendants of the Kaltaminor culture,
continuing their traditional economic practices.
The historical processes in the Okchadarya basin logically support K. Sobirov's views. In
reality, tribal communities from the Sarikamish and Uzboy regions settled in the Okchadarya
basin
.
Indeed, the Suyargand people, having migrated from southern Turkmenistan, began
constructing homes based on their knowledge of clay architecture. They lived in semi-
underground dwellings and developed hunting, animal husbandry, farming, and crafts such as
weaving and pottery. However, unlike their ancestors, the Margush and Bakhtarians, they did not
incorporate clay architecture into their daily lives. The tribes that migrated from the northeastern
part of the southern Okchadarya were primarily engaged in pastoralism and simple agriculture.
The social relations in Khorezm's Bronze Age society are explained by the patriarchal family
economy. The Suyargand and Tozabagyab people lived in dwellings measuring 10x12 meters or
12-15 meters, designed for patriarchal families. The cultural layer resulting from the interaction
between the Suyargand and Tozabagyab people, known as the Kaundin layer, dates back to the
2
Толстов С.П. Древний Хорезм М. «Наука», 1948 стр.59-68. That author. По следам древнехорезмийской
цивилизации М. «Наука», 1948. стр. 50-61. That author. По древним дельтам Окса и Яксарта. М. «Наука»,
1962, стр.27-57; Ғуломов Я.Ғ. Хоразмнинг суғорилиш тарихи. Тошкент “Фан,” 1959, Б. 43-57; Итина М.А.
Новые стоянки Тазабагьябской культуры. МХЭ, Вып. Л, М, «Наука», 1959, стр.57-69; That author. Неолит и
бронзовый век Южного Хорезма. //Древности южного Хорезма // М. «Наука», 1991, 51-77.
3
Толстов С.П. Древний Хорезм М. «Наука», 1948 стр. 66-68; That author. По следам древнехорезмийской
цивилизации М-Л. 1948. стр. 76-78. Толстов С.П., Итина М.А.Проблемы Суярганской культуры.СА, 1960, №
1, с.14-35.
4
Собиров Қ., Атамуратова Д. Марказий Осиё қадимги дунёси минтақавий ривожланишида Хоразм
воҳасининг тарихий ўрни//ЎЗМу хабарлари № 3, 2011, Б.213-214.
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10th-9th centuries BCE. During this period, the size of dwellings changed significantly, ranging
from 60x40 meters to 250x150 meters
During the Bronze Age, Khorezm was not affected by the urbanization processes seen in
its southern borders, which is why the agricultural achievements and clay architecture of our
ancestors are not overshadowed by the southern agricultural tribes.
Based on the historical information presented above, the following conclusions can be
drawn:
-
Between the mid-3rd millennium BCE and the 2nd millennium BCE, Khorezm society
underwent several changes. The population began using bronze tools extensively in their
economic activities. Patriarchal governance systems were established, with fathers serving as
leaders and decision-makers, improving family laws. Society was peaceful, with no military
threats from neighboring regions, allowing the continuation of Neolithic and Eneolithic tribal
traditions in housing construction. The Bronze Age in Khorezm saw the formation of ethnic
processes involving the indigenous Suyargand people and the Andronovo migrants from the
northeast. The development of Khorezm's Bronze Age society was influenced by natural
conditions and geographical environment.
References:
1. Кесь А.С. Антропогенное воздействие на формирование аллювиально-дельтовых
равнин Амударьи //Культура и искусство древнего Хорезма//М.”Наука”, 1981.стр.73.
2. Вайнберг Б.И. Экология Приаралья в древности и средневековье //Этнографическое
обозрение //М.”Наука”, № 1, 1997.стр.26, рис.2. Карта дельт Амударьи.
3. Толстов С.П. Древний Хорезм М. «Наука», 1948 стр.59-68.
4. Толстов С.П. По следам древнехорезмийской цивилизации М. «Наука», 1948. стр. 50-
61.
5. Толстов С.П. По древним дельтам Окса и Яксарта. М. «Наука», 1962, стр.27-57.
6. Ғуломов Я.Ғ. Хоразмнинг суғорилиш тарихи. Тошкент “Фан,” 1959, Б. 43-57.
7. Итина М.А. Новые стоянки Тазабагьябской культуры. МХЭ, Вып. Л, М, «Наука»,
1959, стр.57-69.
8. Итина М.А. Неолит и бронзовый век Южного Хорезма. //Древности южного Хорезма
// М. «Наука», 1991, 51-77.
9. Толстов С.П., Итина М.А.Проблемы Суярганской культуры.СА, 1960, № 1, с.14-35.
10. Собиров Қ., Атамуратова Д. Марказий Осиё қадимги дунёси минтақавий
ривожланишида Хоразм воҳасининг тарихий ўрни//ЎЗМу хабарлари № 3, 2011, Б.213-
214.
5
Толстов С.П. По древним дельтам Окса и Яксарта. М. «Наука», 1962, стр.61-62.
