17 September 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

A 3,400-year-old Pyramid from the Scythian-Saka period found in Karaganda region of Kazakhstan

A pyramid belonging to the Scythian-Saka period was found in the Karaganda region of Kazakhstan.

Experts announced that the Karajartas mausoleum belongs to a ruler from the Begazı Dandibay period, which was the last phase of the Andronovo period.

The pyramid, which was excavated over the course of four excavation seasons by archaeologists from Karaganda University, is situated atop a hill overlooking the Taldy River in the Shet district of Karaganda.

From the National Museum of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Dr. Aibar Kassenali made the first evaluation of the discovered pyramid to TRT Haber.

Dr. Aibar Kassenali announced that according to the results of carbon 14 analyses carried out on the finds, the pyramid structure was dated between the 14th and 12th centuries before Christ (BC).

Dr. Kassenali explains the meaning of this dating: “The presence of multiple pyramidal stepped mausoleums detected in the region shows that the Taldı River valley, located in the Sari Arka steppes, was used by the Andronovo communities in the Bronze Age as the valley of kings where their great leaders were buried, like the Nile Valley in Egypt. ” he explained with his words.

Dr Aibar Kassenali said that when the findings in the burial chamber were examined, the steppe pyramid may have been built on behalf of a local ruler who ruled the Kazakh steppes during the Andronovo period.

Dr. Aibar Kassenali said, “Looking at the cut stones found in the pyramid, the size of the mausoleum, and the fact that such a huge structure was built in the Bronze Age in a very arid region such as the steppe is an indication of the high understanding of art and rich spiritual beliefs that the Begazi Dandibay communities have reached.”

Photo: Dr. Aibar Kassenali

Dr. Serhan Çınar noted that there is information about pyramid-shaped tomb structures in ancient historical sources related to the Scythian-Saka and the early periods of the Begazı Dandibay communities. Dr. Çınar emphasized that the step-like pyramidal monumental tombs identified in Karajartas may be early versions of burial structures from the Scythian period mentioned in historical records.

Excavations in the region have also uncovered a proto-city settlement also belonging to a Begazı Dandibay community.

Dr. Çınar said, “This settlement, which extends over an area of 15 hectares, existed chronologically in the same historical period as Troy 4 in Asia Minor, the Early Mycenaean period in mainland Greece, and the advanced period of the Middle Kingdom in Egypt. The settlement has a series of walls, a planned street network, and water collection systems.”

The researchers believe that the Begazı Dandibay communities demonstrate a close relationship with the Proto-Turkish culture, which is derived from the Karasuk culture of Southern Siberia. As a manifestation of traditional Turkish religious belief, the corridors leading to the burial chamber, particularly in the mausoleums of the Begazı Dandibay phase, always open towards the direction of sunrise.

The round-shaped ceramic vessels found in the graves from this period symbolize a cultural continuity in the steppe environment. They represent ritual vessels from the Scythian-Saka period, and in later periods, they evolved into the archaic versions of traditional cauldrons commonly seen among Turkic tribes from the time of the Asian Huns onwards.

It is known that among the Turkic runic script characters from the Göktürk period, there are many tamga pictograms associated with the Andronovo and Begazı Dandibay phases.

Furthermore, the geometric decorations and tamga-type characters (A tamga or tamgha was an abstract seal or stamp used by Eurasian nomads and by cultures influenced by them) found in burial sites are present in the art of medieval Turkic tribes, indicating ethnographic and historical continuity.

Cover Photo: Dr. Aibar Kassenali

Related Articles

Sensational Discovery in Salzburg: 1,800-Year-Old Roman Ship’s Bow Unearthed During Renovation

11 September 2025

11 September 2025

Archaeologists conducting excavations amid the renovation of the Neue Residenz in Salzburg’s Old Town have discovered a Roman ship’s bow...

Aldi construction uncovered Roman mosaic in UK

18 March 2023

18 March 2023

A team of Oxford Archaeology archaeologists discovered a Roman mosaic in the market town of Olney, Buckinghamshire, England. Ahead of...

Sorcery in Australian Cloggs Cave may be World’s Oldest Known Culturally Transmitted Ritual

1 July 2024

1 July 2024

Two sticks found in a cave in Australia show signs of processing that perfectly match Aboriginal sorcery and curse-making practices...

2,700-Year-Old Rare Bronze Knives from the Early Saka Period Unearthed in Kazakhstan

17 July 2025

17 July 2025

In a remarkable archaeological breakthrough, researchers and students from Margulan University have unearthed two rare bronze knives dating back over...

An 800-meter-long colonnaded street from the Roman period discovered in Türkiye’s famous holiday resort Antalya

18 April 2024

18 April 2024

During the archaeological excavations in Hıdırlık Tower, one of the historical symbols of Antalya, the famous holiday resort in the...

Columns in Lagina Hecate Sanctuary Rise Again

19 February 2021

19 February 2021

Lagina Hecate Sanctuary is located in Yatağan district of Muğla. It is an important sacred area belonging to the Carians...

Declassified CIA Satellite Spy Program Reveals Lost Ancient Roman Forts

26 October 2023

26 October 2023

Archaeologists have discovered “massive” ancient Roman forts that redraw the borders of the ancient empire using images from a declassified...

Hidden Archaeological Treasures from Cologne Cathedral

25 January 2024

25 January 2024

An area of around 4,000 square meters (43,055 square feet) is being discovered beneath the Cologne Cathedral, the largest Gothic...

Buried Treasure of Trajan’s Forum: Colossal Marble Head Discovered

23 June 2025

23 June 2025

A remarkable archaeological discovery has emerged from the heart of imperial Rome. During recent excavations on Via Alessandrina—funded by Italy’s...

1,500-year-old baptistery found in Kadı Castle-Anaia Mound in western Turkey

3 December 2021

3 December 2021

A baptistery, estimated to have been built in the 5th century AD, was unearthed in the Kadı Castle-Anaia Mound in...

Iznik Archaeology Museum reveals 2,500-year-old love letter

16 January 2023

16 January 2023

İznik is an ancient habitation that hosts various civilizations due to its fertile lands, trade routes, and many other reasons....

Orkney dig reveals ruins of huge Neolithic tomb

21 October 2023

21 October 2023 1

A 5,000-year-old tomb was unearthed in Orkney, north-east Scotland. The discovery was announced by the Guardian, describing the tomb structure...

Archaeologists may have Found a Viking Age Marketplace in Norway

21 February 2024

21 February 2024

Archaeologists from the University of Stavanger have identified the possible remains of a marketplace from the Viking Age on a...

1,800-Year-Old Roman Victory Goddess Relief Discovered Near Hadrian’s Wall at Vindolanda Fort

21 May 2025

21 May 2025

A rare and symbolically powerful Roman sandstone relief depicting Victoria, the goddess of Victory, has been unearthed at the Vindolanda...

The ruins of a temple dedicated to Goddess Kubaba found for the first time in ancient city of Kastabala, southern Türkiye

17 December 2023

17 December 2023

Ruins of a temple belonging to the goddess Kubaba were found in the Ancient City of Kastabala. The ancient city...