16 June 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

1300-year-old stone sculpture from the ancient Turkish era found in Kazakhstan

A 1,300-year-old stone sculpture from the early Turkish period was discovered in Kazakhstan’s south, around 250 kilometers (155 miles) from Turkistan.

According to a statement on the International Turkic Academy’s website, Ahmet Yesevi International Turkish-Kazakh University faculty member professor Muhtar Koca announced the initial results of the historical discovery.

Professor Koca told Anadolu Agency (AA) that the stone figure was discovered by a local resident on land above the Syr Darya River, 250 kilometers from Turkistan.

Stating that the stone statue belongs to the old Turkish period, Koca said: “Many stone statues have been found in various parts of our country before. However, this stone statue is different from the others in terms of the motifs engraved on it. According to our preliminary findings, we think that the one-meter-long statue has a history of approximately 1,000-1,300 years,” 

Turkish era in Kazakhistan
A1,300-year-old stone sculpture from the early Turkish period was found some 250 kilometers (155 miles) from the city of Turkistan in the south of Kazakhstan. Photo: AA

Stating that the statue symbolizes a female figure, he added, “It is possible to understand this from the headscarf and earrings. However, it is certain that the depiction belongs to a wealthy lady. It may be the wife of a great ruler of the period. There is also the possibility that it is the symbol of Umay, the goddess of fertility in Turkic mythology.”

The statue is being examined by experts at the Ahmet Yesevi International Turkish-Kazakh University’s Archeology Research Institute.

"naked kings of Hakkari"
“Naked kings of Hakkari”, Some of the 13 steles found in Hakkari.

Taş Babalar Statues (Stone Ancestors or Stone Father)

The most common type of burial in the steppe, especially for the nobility, was the kurgan. In such burials, a pile of stone and earth was usually raised above the wooden burial chamber, in keeping with the importance of the deceased. Above it was erected roughly human-shaped statues representing the deceased. These statues are more commonly referred to as Taş Babalar’s “stone ancestors”.

Taş Babalar (stone ancestors) have been used as tombstones for thousands of years.

It became more and more widespread during the Göktürk period. Numerous specimens have been found in Southern Siberia, Mongolia, Kyrgyzstan, and Kazakhstan. Today, many stone fathers are exhibited in the Alma Ata, Taraz (Cambul), Shymkent, and Atrar museums in Kazakhstan, the “Museum of Homeland History” in Bishkek, the Burana Open Air Museum, and the Çolpan Ata and Karakol on the shores of Issyk Kul.

These human statues range in length from 2.5 meters to 30 centimeters. The lower parts of the figures depicted from the front are not shown. Although spread over a very wide geography, an iconographic set of rules has always been adhered to in the processing of all these stone fathers.

This set of rules brings us to Iranian Azerbaijan and finally to the “naked kings of Hakkari”. Similar features were encountered in 13 stone stelae found in Hakkari in 1998.

Cover Photo: AA

Related Articles

Young Maya Maize God’s Severed Head found in Palenque

4 June 2022

4 June 2022

Archaeologists from the Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia (INAH), an approximately 1,300-year-old sculpture of the head of the Young...

Excavations in Haldensleben, Germany Reveal A Lost Settlement

9 November 2024

9 November 2024

Excavations at Haldensleben in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt provide important information about a lost settlement. Since May 2024, the...

An inscription containing 15 headless falcons and unknown ancient rituals found in an ancient Egyptian temple

8 October 2022

8 October 2022

Archaeologists have discovered a shrine containing previously unknown ancient rituals during excavations at Berenike, a Greco-Roman port in Egypt’s eastern...

9th-Century Slave-Built Large-Scale Agricultural System Discovered in Southern Iraq

3 June 2025

3 June 2025

A recent archaeological study has unveiled compelling evidence of a vast agricultural infrastructure in southern Iraq, believed to have been...

5,000 years old Mother Goddess statuette unearthed in Yeşilova Mound

25 October 2023

25 October 2023

A Mother Goddess statuette, determined to be 5 thousand years old, was found during the excavations carried out in the...

Albastı “A Mother’s Nightmare “

5 February 2021

5 February 2021

Albastı is one of the bad characters in Turkish mythology. The fearful dream of puerperal women and babies, Albastı continues...

Medieval Islamic glass of Scottish Caerlaverock Castle reveals untold histories

23 October 2022

23 October 2022

Discovered by archaeologists at Caerlaverock Castle, eleven kilometers south of Dumfries on Scotland’s south coast, a trio of Islamic glass...

A 13th-Century Italian Fresco Reveals the Medieval Church’s Use of Islamic Altar Tents

3 February 2025

3 February 2025

A recently rediscovered 13th-century fresco in Ferrara, Italy, offers significant insights into the medieval practice of utilizing Islamic tents to...

From Caves to Mounds: The Enigmatic Burial Practices of the Southern Jê in Brazil

25 February 2025

25 February 2025

A groundbreaking study published in the Journal of Anthropological Archaeology sheds light on the enigmatic burial practices of the Southern...

Advanced imaging techniques reveal secrets of sealed ancient Egyptian animal coffins

21 April 2023

21 April 2023

Researchers from the British Museum have gained valuable insight into the contents of six sealed ancient Egyptian animal coffins using...

New Discoveries of Sanxingdui Ancient City to be Announced

19 March 2021

19 March 2021

Sanxingdui, which literally means “Stacks of Three Stars”, is a cultural relic of the Kingdom of Shu in ancient China....

2,400-year-old unearthed flush toilet in China

18 February 2023

18 February 2023

According to a China Daily report, the lower parts of a flush toilet estimated to be 2,400 years old have...

Scientists recreate Stone Age cave lighting

17 June 2021

17 June 2021

For early hunter-gatherer societies that were lucky enough to live near caves, these natural underground homes provided ideal protection from...

1800-year-old statue head found in Ancient Smyrna Theater in western Turkey

30 July 2022

30 July 2022

A statue head dated to the 2nd century AD was unearthed during the excavations at the Ancient Smyrna Theater, located...

A rare sheep carriage and ancient chariots found near mausoleum of China’s first emperor

28 October 2023

28 October 2023

A rare “six-sheep” carriage and a four-wheeled wooden chariot were discovered near the mausoleum of Qinshihuang, China’s first Emperor during...