Archaeologists Discover Bronze Age City in Kazakhstan, Redefining History

Archaeologists have unveiled a significant Bronze Age settlement in northeastern Kazakhstan, which may have been a pivotal urban center approximately 3,600 years ago. The site, named Semiyarka, covers an impressive 346 acres (140 hectares), making it over four times the size of contemporary villages in the region. This discovery, reported in a study published in the journal Antiquity on November 18, reveals new insights into the organization and capabilities of ancient steppe societies.

The site, dating back to 1600 B.C., is the first in the area found to have substantial space dedicated to metallurgy and tin-bronze production. Miljana Radivojević, the study’s lead author and an archaeologist at University College London, noted, “Semiyarka transforms our understanding of steppe societies. It demonstrates that mobile communities were capable of building and sustaining permanent, well-organized settlements centered on large-scale metallurgical production.”

Significance of the Site

Situated on a bluff overlooking the Irtysh River, Semiyarka’s strategic location suggests that it may have controlled trade and movement along the river. Researchers have nicknamed it the “City of Seven Ravines” for its distinct topography. The excavation team, which employed drone surveys and manual digging, identified two rows of earthworks that angled toward each other, creating a layout divided into smaller structures. Mud brick walls along these banks likely marked individual households, while a larger central structure, about twice the size of the others, may have served ritualistic or governmental functions.

Southeast of the earthworks, the discovery of metal artifacts, ores, and slag indicates that this area was utilized for metalworking. According to Radivojević, this suggests an early example of industrial production of copper and tin bronze, materials that were crucial to the economy of Eurasia’s Bronze Age, but had previously not been recorded in the archaeological record.

The metal ores used for crafting these artifacts likely originated from deposits in the Altai Mountains, which border Kazakhstan, Russia, Mongolia, and China. Given its advantageous position near these resources and the river, Semiyarka could have functioned as a center for trade and distribution within the region.

Implications for Archaeology

The scale and structural complexity of Semiyarka set it apart from smaller camps and villages commonly found in steppe communities of that era. Dan Lawrence, a co-author of the study and a landscape archaeologist at Durham University, remarked, “The scale and structure of Semiyarka are unlike anything else we’ve seen in the steppe zone.” He added that the archaeological finds indicate that Bronze Age communities in this area were developing sophisticated, planned settlements comparable to those in more traditionally urbanized regions of the ancient world.

Future excavations at Semiyarka are poised to provide further clarity on the city’s role in the broader historical context of the region. The ongoing research promises to shed light on how such settlements were organized and their impact on trade, culture, and technology during the Bronze Age. As the understanding of steppe societies evolves, Semiyarka stands as a testament to the complexity and sophistication of ancient life on the Eurasian steppe.