Research on the Cultural Landscapes of the Jetijol Ridge

As part of interdisciplinary research aimed at the comprehensive study of the cultural landscapes of little-studied micro-regions in the Almaty Region, archaeological field surveys were conducted in 2024 in the territory of the Jetijol Ridge. The primary objective of the fieldwork was the identification and documentation of new archaeological heritage sites, primarily rock art monuments, in areas that had not previously been covered by systematic research. The field stage involved the collection of archaeological data in situ for the purposes of preliminary analysis and interpretation, as well as comparison of the newly obtained materials with previously documented data from the sites of Akterek, Basbatyr, and Tospaly. Special attention was given to the identification and localization of new rock art sites and complexes situated in the valleys and gorges of the ridge that had not been studied before. The survey covered extensive areas, including detailed inspections of the northern slope gorges, selective examinations of the southern slopes and mid-mountain plateaus, as well as peripheral zones. As a result of the work, the rock art database of Jetijol was significantly expanded: the number of known sites increased from three to fourteen, and the total number of recorded petroglyphs grew from 4,700 to 7,300 images.