The Early Turkic runic inscription from Tospaly (Chu (Shu) river valley, Kazakhstan)

Abstract

The main aspects of the study of issues related to the introduction into scientific circulation of the Early Turkic runic inscription found in the valley of the Chu (Shu) River are consider. A brief history of the discovery of this inscription, located on the shore of the Shygys Zhinishke River that is the right tributary of the Chu River, in the mountain part of the valley, is given. The river runs from the southern slopes of the relatively low range of Zhetyzhol, that represents the northern edge of Tian Shan Mountains, stretching to the North-West, along which the border of Zhambyl and Almaty regions of the Republic of Kazakhstan runs. The analysis of the results of studies of recent years aimed at identifying relatively rare (compare with the neighboring Talas Valley) epigraphic sites of Early Turks, their localization is carried out. According to the data available at our disposal, this is the ninth rune-like Early Turkic inscription of the Shu River Valley and the adjacent Chu-Ili inter-river in the right bank (Zhetyzhol Ridge, Chu-Ili Mountains). It is proposed to read the published inscription, which is very lapidary and far from unique in its content, but important for the general idea of the written culture of the population of the region of the Early Middle Ages.