9 May 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

Bronze Age Petroglyphs discovered in Kazakhstan

Volunteers in Kazakhstan have discovered new petroglyphs from the Bronze Age. The rock carvings were found by volunteers of the nationwide Taza (Clean) Kazakhstan environmental campaign in the Zhambyl region.

Around 3.5 kilometers from the Aktogay village in the Sarysu district, at the foot of the towering ridges, were where the rock carvings were discovered during the second week of the campaign, which was devoted to landscaping efforts around historical and cultural monuments.

The height of these ancient drawings reaches two meters, and the length is more than 15-20 meters. Most of the petroglyphs depict the daily life and worldviews of people of that time.

“We stumbled upon very unusual drawings, and to understand their significance, we sought the expertise of archeologists. We hope this discovery will shed new light on history,” said volunteer Assylzhan Pazylbekov.

Experts estimate that the petroglyphs date back more than 4,000 years. However, local archaeologists need support to pinpoint the exact date to which the petroglyphs belong. Unique features etched onto the pictures’ surface are regarded as a significant finding. Scientists plan to start a thorough investigation of the rock art as a result.

Newly discovered petroglyphs dating back to the Bronze Age. Photo: Department of Internal Policy of the Akimat of the Zhambyl Region

Discovering an artifact with abundant images on one surface is rare for the Zhambyl Region. These types of rock art were found and studied at sites including Arpaozen, Koibagar, Sauyskandyk, Eshikolmes, and Tanbaly Tas.

Southern Kazakhstan’s Karatau Mountains are home to rock paintings known as petroglyphs, which date from the Middle Ages and the 2nd millennium BC. The topographer M.N. Kirchhoff first noticed them in the Besaryk Gorge in 1906.

Petroglyphs from Karatau are mostly etched on a variety of sized rocks and boulders. They depict the religious beliefs, customs, traditions, and rituals of the nomadic tribes of the corresponding era, in addition to their way of life economically.

Images of birds and other animals abound. The subject matter of the images is diverse, and carries a certain semantic load. For example, the image of a camel symbolizes wealth and strength. On many rocks, scenes of hunting a mountain goat with dogs and bird catching are carved.

Photo: Department of Internal Policy of the Akimat of the Zhambyl Region

“The Karatau mountain range holds great historical and geographical significance. It is one of the unique sites of human civilization not only in the history of Kazakhstan but also in world history,” said Sauran Kaliyev, an archeologist and historian.

“We will continue our research and conduct a state examination as we intend to designate it a site of national or international significance to be included in the list of state-protected sites,” said Kuanysh Daurenbekov, director of the Directorate for the Protection and Restoration of Historical and Cultural Monuments.

Related Articles

Artvin Demirkapı/Arılı rock paintings give information about Anatolian Bronze Age Nomadic

14 December 2021

14 December 2021

Rock paintings are material cultural assets that provide us with unique information about the socio-cultural structure, religious beliefs, and rituals,...

Intact Bodies of Catalan Nobles Discovered in Santes Creus Monastery

11 March 2024

11 March 2024

A team of archaeologists and anthropologists found the human remains of a dozen members of the Catalan nobility dating back...

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...

In southern Turkey, the remains of a Roman villa whose floor was decorated with geometrically patterned mosaics were unearthed during construction

13 July 2022

13 July 2022

Workers working to lay the foundation of a new building in the Defne district of Hatay, southern Turkey, by accident...

Mysterious Handprints Found in the Ancient Mayan Cave

1 May 2021

1 May 2021

In Mexico, home to ancient civilizations such as the Maya, Aztec, and Inca, archaeologist Sergio Grosjean found dozens of mysterious...

Archaeologists discover a well-planned new urban precinct in the Egyptian settlement of Marea

2 August 2021

2 August 2021

Archaeologists excavating the ancient port settlement and cemetery of Marea in Egypt have revealed that a significant part of the...

The earliest known depiction of biblical heroines Jael and Deborah was discovered at a Jewish synagogue in Israel

8 August 2022

8 August 2022

The earliest known depiction of biblical heroines Jael and Deborah was discovered at a Jewish synagogue at Huqoq in Israel,...

6000-Year-Old Salt Production House Rewrites Europe’s History

31 March 2021

31 March 2021

Archaeologists in the UK have found an ancient stone age-era salt-production house in North Yorkshire, estimated to be older even...

Europe’s oldest grave of a newborn girl found in İtaly

15 December 2021

15 December 2021

An international team of researchers has found Europe’s oldest tomb of a newborn girl, dating back 10,000 years, in Liguria....

Oldest US firearm unearthed in Arizona, a 500-year-old bronze cannon linked to Coronado expedition

27 November 2024

27 November 2024

Independent researchers in Arizona have unearthed a bronze cannon linked to the 16th-century expedition of Francisco Vázquez de Coronado, and...

A new magnetic survey of the ancient Assyrian capital of Khorsabad has revealed a 127-room villa twice the size of the U.S. White House

26 December 2024

26 December 2024

Archaeologists in northern Iraq have conducted an extensive magnetic survey using an exhaustive magnetic survey at Khorsabad, once the ancient...

First Major Iron Age Cemetery Discovered in the UAE: A 3,000-Year-Old Burial Site in Al Ain Region

22 April 2025

22 April 2025

A groundbreaking archaeological discovery has emerged from the Al Ain Region of the United Arab Emirates, revealing a 3,000-year-old necropolis...

Tombs of elite Wari craftsmen found in the royal necropolis in Castillo de Huarmey, Peru

12 September 2022

12 September 2022

A group of tombs of elite craftsmen of the Wari culture has been discovered at the archaeological site of Castillo...

A Child’s Skeleton was Unearthed During the Tozkoparan Mound Excavations

12 August 2021

12 August 2021

The skeleton of a child was unearthed during the rescue excavations carried out in the Tozkoparan mound located in Tozkoparan...

Bronze Age Ceremonial Sword Found in Håre in Vestfyn will be on Display Soon

13 March 2021

13 March 2021

Archaeologists excavating the village of Håre on the island of Funen in Denmark have discovered an ornate Bronze Age sword...