Archaeologists from Karaganda University have uncovered a remarkable 3,400-year-old pyramid dating to the Scythian-Saka era, alongside the ruins of a proto-city linked to the Begazy-Dandybay community in Kazakhstan. This discovery, reported by TRT News, sheds new light on a pivotal era in Central Asian history and the sophisticated social structures that thrived there.
The pyramid sits on a hill with a commanding view of the Taldy River, in the Shet district of Karaganda. Radiocarbon dating places its construction roughly between the 14th and 12th centuries BCE, making it a mausoleum built in a stepped form that showcases deliberate architectural planning. Researchers interpreting the site say the Taldy River valley served as a burial ground for aristocratic elites from the Begazy-Dandybaevsky phase of the Andronovo culture, indicating a complex social hierarchy and ritual life in Bronze Age Central Asia.
In addition to the pyramid, excavations revealed a proto-city associated with the Begazy-Dandybai community, spanning about 15 hectares. This settlement, contemporaneous with ancient Troy in Asia Minor and the Middle Kingdom of Egypt, features what appears to be a structured urban plan. Wall remnants, an organized street network, and a robust water collection system point to sophisticated civil engineering and communal planning. The scale of these remains hints at a high level of civic organization and a thirst for communal infrastructure that supported a sizable population living in that era.
Commenting on the significance of the find, Aybar Kassenali, a researcher with the National Museum of the Republic of Kazakhstan, noted that the cut stones of the pyramid, the impressive size of the mausoleum, and the creation of such a monumental structure in an arid steppe climate during the Bronze Age signal a deep artistic sensibility and a rich spiritual tradition among the Begazy-Dandybaev communities. The discovery prompts a re-evaluation of how these groups expressed identity, power, and ritual through monumental architecture rather than through simple utilitarian means. In the broader context, the findings contribute to understanding the long-standing artistic and architectural traditions that flourished across Central Asia long before well-known empires rose to prominence.
Scholars also see a connection between the Begazy-Dandibai communities and broader Turkic cultural roots, tracing links to proto-Turkic elements that may have originated from the Karasuk culture in southern Siberia. This suggests a dynamic exchange of ideas, technologies, and beliefs across vast regions, highlighting how ancient communities in the Carpathians and Central Asia were part of an interconnected tapestry long before written records fully captured their histories. The integration of funerary architecture, urban planning, and ritual expression in this region underscores a shared heritage that developed through adaptation to steppe environments and the demands of ceremonial life.
In the wake of the discovery, researchers emphasize the importance of continuing excavations to map the full extent of the Begazy-Dandibai complex and its ties to neighboring cultures. The site offers a rare window into a Bronze Age world where monumental stonework, organized urban spaces, and water management systems coalesced to support a thriving community. As more material emerges, scholars anticipate a richer portrait of social organization, cultural exchange, and the endurance of symbolic practices that carried through generations. The project’s progress will likely influence current understandings of regional archaeology and the broader narrative of Eurasian antiquity. (Source: TRT News)