Ancient Khorezm in the era of the Early Iron age. (Models of the formation of the socio-economic structure of ancient societies on the territory of the Southern Aral Sea region according to the archeological data)

This article examines the early period of the formation of agricultural civilization on the territory of the ancient delta of the Amu Darya river in the southern Aral Sea region - Ancient Khorezm. The basic problem, that has remained debatable for many years, is the time of the initial stage of the ancient agricultural culture formation and urbanization on the territory of Khoresm. Besides until the recent time the role of autochtonous polulation on the lower reaches of the Amu Darya in these processes is not so clear, as well as the degree of the influence of agricultural cultures of the south of the Middle Asia on them. Based on archaeological sources in the era of the early Iron Age of Khorezm – VII-V centuries BC, two stages are singled out. The early - Sako-Kuyusai stage, VII- early VI BC was the beginning of the permanent flooding of the Near-Kamysh delta on the territory of the Left Bank of the Amu Darya, as a result of the interaction of two groups of pastoralists, different in origin and in the way of farming; a fairly stable paleoeconomical system is being formed, the basis of which was mainly pasture cattle breeding and primitive hoe farming. Community handicraft production functioned in stationary settlements of settled cattle breeders (Kuyusai culture). The second stage is the archaic period of the history of Khorezm (VI-V centuries BC) is characterized by the introduction of advanced technologies (irrigation, construction, pottery) that appeared on the territory of the southern Aral Sea region as a result of a powerful cultural impulse from the southern ancient agricultural regions of Central Asia. During this period, the paleoeconomical system of the historical and cultural region is radically changing; agriculture there, based on artificial irrigation, becomes dominant. At the same time, it should be emphasized that these changes are not related to the change of population. The Khorezm agricultural culture in the period of the RSVC-II was born as a result of the interaction of the autochthonous, mainly pastoral, Sako- Kuyusai population of the Near-Kama region and groups of farmers and artisans, natives of the ancient agricultural regions of the south of Central Asia.

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