Archaeologists have exposed Semiyarka, a gigantic Bronze Age town covering 140 hectares in northeastern Kazakhstan. This amazing find is changing what we think we know about urbanism and metal production across prehistoric Eurasia. Semiyarka is located on a promontory that overlooks the Irtysh River valley. Today’s strategic location is just one of the indicators that it was a significant Bronze Age industrial powerhouse, trade crossroads, and regional superpower.
Geophysical prospection was undertaken by Archaeological Services at Durham University. This pioneering research ultimately resulted in the rediscovery of Semiyarka, the so-called “City of Seven Ravines.” Semiyarka has an unrivaled scale and architectural layout for the steppe zone. This outstanding attribute unmistakably indicates that it functioned as a large metropolis on the Kazakh Steppe.
Rescue excavations and a companion geophysical survey revealed a trove of artifacts. These unexpected discoveries, especially crucibles, slag, and tin bronze objects, provide important cultural understanding of the metallurgical practices during that time. Researchers have long theorized that Semiyarka was the site of large-scale metallurgical production, notably the manufacture of tin bronze. Its geographic position next to major deposits of copper and tin in the Altai Mountains further adds to its importance. This region was an important node in the far-reaching bronze-age metallurgical networks.
The international collaboration involved archaeologists from University College London (UCL), Durham University, and Toraighyrov University in Kazakhstan, who have been instrumental in investigating this site. Dr. Viktor Merz, who has excavated at Semiyarka for many seasons, was hopeful about future excavations.
“The scale and structure of Semiyarka are unlike anything else we’ve seen in the steppe zone.”
The most remarkable outcome of these results drew attention to mobile communities that had the capacity to create and maintain more permanent, large-scale, order communities of metallurgical production. Dr. Miljana Radivojević emphasized the broader implications of this discovery for understanding historical societies in the region.
“I have been surveying Semiyarka for many years, 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.”
These discoveries were recently published in the journal Antiquity, a remarkable milestone for the ground-breaking research of West’s archaeological career. Taken together, they hold the promise of changing how we understand social organization and technological development in prehistoric Eurasia.
“Semiyarka transforms our understanding of steppe societies.”
The recent publication of these findings in the journal Antiquity marks a significant milestone in archaeological research and could reshape perceptions of social organization and technological advancements in prehistoric Eurasia.