THE EMERGENCE OF EARLY STATEHOOD IN KHOREZM IN THE CONTEXT OF CENTRAL ASIAN CIVILIZATIONS AND THE ARAL SEA CULTURES

This article analyzes the socio-political, economic, and cultural processes that took place in the Khorezm oasis during the 7th–6th centuries BC, focusing on the Kozaliqir culture. Based on archaeological and historical evidence, the study examines the military-political organization of Saka communities, the processes of sedentarization, and the stages of early state formation in Khorezm. The emergence of the Kozaliqir fortress and surrounding agricultural settlements is interpreted as evidence of increasing complexity in defensive, administrative, and economic systems.