Kelteminar Culture
The Kelteminar Culture, discovered in 1939 along the eastern bank of the Amu Dar'ya River in Khorezm, exemplifies a prehistoric society that thrived in the region south of the Aral Sea and into western Siberia. Notable for its distinctive stone axes and incised pottery, which often featured decorative designs, the Kelteminar people relied on fishing, hunting, and foraging as they did not domesticate animals or engage in agriculture, unlike neighboring cultures. Their pottery, some made from shells, reflects a practical yet artistic approach to daily life. Communities typically consisted of 100 to 120 residents living in oval-shaped, often seasonal homes. Archaeological findings, including grave sites with flint and quartz artifacts, indicate a skilled craftsmanship in tool-making. The Kelteminar society maintained interactions with surrounding agricultural communities, suggesting a dynamic exchange of cultural practices. This rich cultural heritage provides insight into the diverse lifestyles and adaptations of ancient peoples in Central Asia.
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Kelteminar Culture
Related civilizations: Afanasievo, Andronovo, Karasuk.
Date: 5000-3000 b.c.e.
Locale: Central Asia south of the Aral Sea
Kelteminar Culture
Discovered in 1939 by Soviet archaeologist S. P. Tolstov along the eastern bank of the Amu Dar’ya River in Khorezm, the Kelteminar (kehl-TEH-mee-nahr) culture extended south of the Aral Sea throughout the Akcha Darya Delta and into western Siberia. It was named after an abandoned canal in Khwārizm where the initial discoveries were made.
In the fifth millennium, incised pottery and pottery made from shells were first produced south of the Aral Sea. Clay pottery, round and pointed on the bottom, was decorated with drawings and stamped designs. Shells were used both in making pots and for adornments. The population engaged in fishing, hunting, and food gathering. This was a prehistoric society devoid of domesticated animals and farming, in contrast to the Jeitun society to the south. Kelteminar people lived in oval-shaped frame homes, often seasonal, with about 100 to 120 residents to a village. Grave sites reveal artifacts of flint and quartz that were inserted into wooden or bone handles. Arrowheads were in abundance.
The Kelteminar society maintained some contacts with the agricultural communities of the southern Jeitun and Anau cultures and with the neolithic communities to the north in the Ural and lower Ob River regions.
Bibliography
Dani, A. H., and V. M. Masson, eds. The Dawn of Civilization: Earliest Times to 700 b.c. In Vol. 1 of History of Civilizations of Central Asia. Paris: UNESCO, 1992.
Davis-Kimball, Jeannine, Vladimir A. Bashilov, and Leonid T. Yablonsky. Nomads of the Eurasian Steppes in the Early Iron Age. Berkeley, Calif.: Zinat Press, 1995.
Levine, Marsha, Yuri Rassamakin, Aleksandr Kislenko, and Nataliya Tatarintseva, with an introduction by Colin Renfrew. Late Prehistoric Exploitation of the Eurasian Steppe. Cambridge, England: McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research, 1999.