THE STONE SCULPTURE OF THE TASMOLA CULTURE FROM AUMAGAM VALLEY IN CENTRAL KHAZAKHSTAN
The main aim of this article is to describe and analyze the stone sculpture, discovered by the author and his colleagues in the course of archaeological exploration 2020 conducted on the territory of an old Kazakh cemetery Aumagan containing a currently destroyed burial ground of the Tasmola culture. The stone sculpture was found in the north-west direction from the aforementioned burial ground at a distance of 83 meters. It is made of granite porphyry and has the following parameters: height - 89 centimeters, width of the front surface - 21-26.5 centimeters, width of the side surface - 30 centimeters. The upper part (head) of the sculpture is artificially rounded. Its face is flat with two big eyes. Ears, nose and mouth are absent. The sculpture's head is separated from the body by a groove with a width of 7 centimeters and a depth of 1-1.5 centimeters. An important feature of the sculpture under study is a small, oval-shaped knot on top of its head. This element suggests its closeness to a range of other finds related to the Tasmola culture (the VIII-V centuries BC), which had been discovered earlier in Central Kazakhstan. According to the author, 27 stone sculptures of the Tasmola culture are known so far (including the one from the Aumagan cemetery). Based on analysis of these sculptures, it could be claimed that Tasmola men shaved their heads leaving just one strand of hair at the back. This hairstyle looks similar to a traditional Kazakh hairstyle called "aidar", which was typical for men of high status e.g. warriors. May be, representatives of the Tasmola culture had a similar tradition.