Social and chronological aspects of the Late Bronze age burial site of Kokcha 3 (Uzbekistan)

Abstract

The Amu-Darya Delta (ancient Khwarazm, modern Uzbekistan) was a borderland between northern steppe-based Andronovo-Srubnaya groups and southern oasis cultures in the Late Bronze Age. The local sites are known as the Tazabag'yab culture, of which Kokcha 3 is the largest excavated burial site. As such, Kokcha 3 provides the largest representative record of the local burial customs for this era. Scholars have documented a complex burial ritual for males, females and two types of double burials and reconstructed two chronological phases at the site. However, a study incorporating these different sources is still missing.In this paper, the anthropological and archaeological record of Kokcha 3 is studied using multivariate statistical approaches and spatial distribution patterns. The burial ritual was most likely divided according to gender. Double burials are distinguished between simultaneous and consecutive burials, which include different demographics and are likely to be used in different contexts. On the excavation plan, three separate areas for males, females and double burials can be reconstructed. The two-phase chronology model is verified using correspondence analysis, establishing the funeral pottery as chronological marker at Kokcha 3. Conclusions about the prehistoric landscape are drawn from the results and a hypothesis on the social structure of the Kokcha 3 community is proposed considering the context of a borderland situation. The results presented may also be relevant for the interpretation of the archaeological record of the Late Bronze Age in other regions in south Central Asia.