Semiyarka: 3,500-year-old Bronze Age City with metallurgy hub discovered in Kazakhstan

Archaeologists have uncovered the remains of a large Bronze Age settlement covering 140 hectares in the Kazakh steppe.

The city, named Semiyarka, is over 3,500 years old and is the largest planned settlement discovered in the region to date.

The international study was conducted in collaboration with University College London (UCL), Durham University, and Toraighyrov University, with results published in the journal Antiquity.

A DISCOVERY CHALLENGING STEPPE COMMUNITY ASSUMPTIONS

Excavations revealed multi-room houses built on rectangular earthen mounds arranged in two rows. At the center, a building twice the size of other structures was found, likely serving as a ceremonial space, community hall, or residence of an influential family.

Lead author Dr. Miljana Radivojević said, "Semiyarka changes our understanding of steppe communities. It shows that societies previously thought to be nomadic could establish permanent and planned cities."

A CENTER OF BRONZE PRODUCTION

Researchers identified an industrial area in the city's southeast dedicated to tin-copper alloy bronze production. Found items include casting vessels (tiegel), slag, and bronze artifacts, indicating large-scale metallurgical operations. This provides the strongest evidence yet of Bronze production in the Eurasian steppe, previously associated mainly with another site, Askaraly.

STRATEGIC LOCATION, TRADE, AND CULTURAL CONNECTIONS

Semiyarka is situated on an elevated point along the Irtysh River, taking its name from the surrounding "Seven Valleys" (Semiyarka). Its location suggests it was both a trade hub and a regional power center.

Proximity to copper and tin deposits in the Altai Mountains likely supported its industrial activities. Findings indicate the settlement was primarily inhabited by the Alekseevka-Sargary culture, with artifacts also pointing to trade links with the Cherkaskul people.

FUTURE RESEARCH DIRECTIONS

Researchers plan to continue excavations to study the city's production and trade networks, as well as cemeteries and small camp sites from the same period.