Kazakl'i-yatkan

Kazakl'i-yatkan consists of an upper and a lower enclosure, measuring about 15 and 30 hectares respectively. Both enclosures are heavily fortified. The upper was the first militarized establishment at the site, consisting of galleried curtain walls and regularly spaced towers set on a high pakhsa socle. This was followed by the construction of a series of outworks (proteichisma) with a raised and paved covered way and double ditches. Two complex gateways (barbicans) have been found.

These fortifications enclosed a number of apparently monumental buildings including a possible mausoleum at the precise centre, a palace/temple and a temenos. Evidently the upper enclosure was purpose-built to enclose these structures which are suspected to be of a sacral nature rather than purely administrative.

Following the construction and use of the proteichisma, a new enclosure was added to the east and south. This too was heavily fortified with galleried curtain walls, regularly spaced towers and a proteichisma. The current absolute date for the construction of the wooden roof of the upper enclosure galleried curtain walls and the towers is in about the early 2nd century B.C. A catastrophe occurred at Kazakl'i-yatkan which saw the burning of much of the site, specifically the roof beams of the galleried curtain walls and towers. This event is currently dated between the 1st century B.C. and the 1st century A.D. and is followed by domestic occupation in the covered way of the upper enclosure outworks and a subsequent reinforcement of the towers with a cladding of mud bricks and pakhsa. The upper layers in the galleried curtain walls and towers were sealed by mud bricks sometime in the 1st to 2nd century A.D. and a new cover wall was added. Thereafter, the site was abandoned, the seat of government being moved to Toprak-kala some 10 kilometres to the north.

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General view of the walls of the upper enclosure at Kazakl'i-yatkan.

The interior of one of the towers in the upper enclosure showing fire reddening from a siege.

View of the north-east tower of the upper enclosure showing the proteichisma (centre) and the walls of the lower enclosure (left).