Archaeologists in Kazakhstan’s Abai region have discovered a step pyramid dating back 4,000 years to the Bronze Age.
Archaeologists from the L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University (ENU) have been excavating the Kyrykungir complex monument near Toktamys village since 2014. There, they have found ancient graves from the Hun and Saka peoples, along with clay pots, food, and small bronze balls.
This year, the team uncovered a step pyramid dating to the early 2nd millennium BCE that differs from the typical Eurasian step pyramid.
Containing graves atop elaborate tunnels and labyrinths, step pyramids are usually similar in shape to a geometric pyramid. Egyptian architect Imhotep designed the step pyramid for Pharaoh Djoser in the 27th century BCE.
“The [step] pyramid is built with great precision,” Ulan Umitkaliyev, historian and head of ENU’s archaeology and ethnology department, said in a statement.
Hexagonal in form, “it is a very sophisticated complex structure with several circles in the middle,” Umitkaliyev said.
The exterior walls contain images of various animals such as camels, with a particular emphasis on horses. This, coupled with the discovery of horse bones around the building’s perimeter, led the team to believe that the complex was dedicated to a horse cult that would be typical of nomadic Eurasian cultures.
Archaeologists also found ceramics, gold women’s earrings, and other types of jewelry that, according to Umitkaliyev, “indicate that this Bronze Age [site] was the center of culture in ancient times.”