ARCHITECTURAL ARCHAEOLOGY AND HYDRAULIC ENGINEERING OF TRANSIT INFRASTRUCTURE ON THE USTYURT PLATEAU (9TH–14TH CENTURIES)

Abstract

This study provides a comprehensive architectural-archaeological and hydraulic analysis of the medieval transit infrastructure preserved across the Ustyurt Plateau between the 9th and 14th centuries CE. Focusing on caravanserais, fortified outposts, watchtowers (ding), engineered wells (quduq), subterranean cisterns (sardoba), and communal hunting complexes (aran and baylama), this paper demonstrates how human communities engineered a durable built environment within a hyper-arid plateau environment. Moving beyond descriptive site surveys, the research analyzes the structural adaptation of limestone masonry, spatial positioning along seasonal drainage basins (takyr), and the functional synergy between trade logistics and pastoral resource management. The findings establish that trans-Ustyurt communications relied upon an institutionalized, highly sophisticated engineering network that sustained transEurasian trade routes connecting Khwarezm with the Volga region and the Caspian littoral