The remains of an extensive Bronze Age settlement on the Kazakh Steppe that was likely once a major regional hub for large-scale bronze production more than 3,500 years ago, have been revealed by an international team of archaeologists co-led by researchers from UCL.
Published in Antiquity Project Gallery and co-led by Durham University and Kazakhstan's Toraighyrov University, the paper presents the first detailed archaeological survey of Semiyarka—a vast, 140-hectare planned settlement and the largest known ancient site of its kind in the region. Although first identified in the early 2000s by researchers at Toraighyrov University, the site has only now been investigated in depth. Dating from around 1600 BC, Semiyarka offers insight into an important period of history when local nomadic communities began transitioning into permanent, urbanised settlements.
Lead author Dr Miljana Radivojević (UCL Archaeology) said: "This is one of the most remarkable archaeological discoveries in this region for decades. Semiyarka changes the way we think about steppe societies. It shows that mobile communities could build and sustain permanent, organised settlements centred on a likely large-scale industry — a true 'urban hub' of the steppe."
Today, what remains of the city are two rows of rectangular earthen mounds about a metre high that were the foundations of enclosed homes with multiple rooms. Nearby, the researchers also found the remains of a larger, central structure twice the size of the homes. Though its exact purpose is unclear, it could have been the site of rituals, a common communal space or may have been the home of a powerful family.
The scale and permanence of the settlement is surprising, as researchers had understood the people that lived in the region at the time to be semi-nomadic, living in mobile camps or small villages.
Co-author Professor Dan Lawrence of Durham University said: "The scale and structure of Semiyarka are unlike anything else we've seen in the steppe zone. The rectilinear compounds and the potentially monumental building show that Bronze Age communities here were developing sophisticated, planned settlements similar to those of their contemporaries in more traditionally 'urban' parts of the ancient world."
Semiyarka was likely a major centre for tin bronze production in the region – a rare discovery in the Eurasian Steppe. On the southeast end of the city, researchers unearthed evidence of an 'industrial zone' dedicated to tin bronze metallurgical production, the main bronze alloy that defined the Bronze Age. Excavations and geophysical surveys revealed crucibles, slag, and tin bronze artefacts, providing the first firm evidence that Semiyarka metallurgists operated complex production systems rather than small-scale workshops.
Currently, little is known little about tin bronze production in the Eurasian Steppe Bronze Age, despite hundreds of thousands of tin bronze artefacts preserved in museum collections. Only one other settlement in eastern Kazakhstan, a Late Bronze Age mining site of Askaraly, has been linked to tin bronze production. Semiyarka shows an entire settlement zone dedicated to tin bronze making —suggesting a highly organised, possibly limited or controlled, industry of this sought-after alloy. The researchers hope that the site can offer more insights into the region's poorly understood ancient production practices.
The city is located on a promontory above the Irtysh River in northeastern Kazakhstan and was first discovered in the early 2000s. Its name means "Seven Ravines," taken from the network of valleys it overlooks. Its strategic location suggests that Semiyarka was once both a centre of exchange and a regional power. It's also situated in the vicinity of copper and tin deposits in the nearby Altai Mountains which supplied the raw materials for its bronze manufacturing.
Co-author Dr Viktor Merz of Toraighyrov University in Kazakhstan, who first discovered the site, said: "I have been surveying Semiyarka for many years with the support of Kazakh national research funding, but this collaboration has truly elevated our understanding of the site. Working with colleagues from UCL and Durham has brought new methods and perspectives, and I look forward to what the next phase of excavation will reveal now that we can draw on their specialist expertise in archaeometallurgy and landscape archaeology."
Excavated finished metallic artifacts and pottery shards indicate that the Alekseevka-Sargary people predominantly inhabited the site, a group that were some of the first to construct permanent dwellings in settlements in the region. Other items are reminiscent of the Cherkaskul people, another group that lived throughout the region but were thought to be more nomadic, indicating the inhabitants of Semiyarka likely traded with these and other local peoples.
The researchers hope in the future to examine how Semiyarka's communities organised production and trade with their neighbours, as well as the environmental impact of these activities. In addition, the team also identified several nearby burial sites and temporary settlements from the same timeframe which could provide additional insight into the region's ancient culture.
The research was funded by the British Academy, Kazakh Ministry for Science and Higher Education and the ERC awarded/UKRI-funded DREAM Project.
