THE SIGNIFICANCE AND USE OF ANIMAL SCAPULAS IN TALDYSAI SETTLEMENT

Animal scapulas hold significant cultural and practical importance in the everyday life and traditional beliefs of the Kazakh people. This article explores the animal scapulas discovered at the Taldysai settlement, located along the Zhezkazgan-Ulytau highway in Central Kazakhstan’s Ulytau administrative region. The settlement was identified in the early 1990s by the Central Archaeological Expedition, with archaeological investigations commencing in 1994. Scapulas from both large mammals and small ruminants were unearthed at the site, revealing their dual role as functional tools and objects of spiritual significance.