Large Bronze Age settlement discovered in Kazakhstan

An international team of archaeologists has discovered a large Bronze Age settlement in the steppes of Kazakhstan, which may have served as an administrative and commercial center around 1600 BCE. According to a study published in the journal Antiquity, the finding may fundamentally change our understanding of prehistoric urban life in Eurasia.

The settlement, called Semiyarka (“City of Seven Valleys”), covers 140 hectares and includes houses, a central monumental structure (likely used for rituals or governance), and workshops for producing tin bronze.

“This is very exciting because the discovery of tin bronze production in this region is extremely rare,” says lead author, University College London associate professor Miljana Radivojević. According to her, this is only the second such production site found in the Eurasian steppe. Tin bronze allowed for stronger tools and materials, representing a major technological leap for the era.

The discovery challenges the idea that the steppe was inhabited solely by nomadic pastoral tribes. “What we have here is completely different. This is nothing like temporary tent or yurt camps,” notes co-author, Durham University professor Dan Lawrence. He believes the scale and strategic position of Semiyarka indicate it may have been a complex city comparable to other urban centers of the period.

However, not all experts agree with the “metropolis” description. University of Wyoming archaeologist James Johnson, who was not involved in the study, says the low density of pottery found on the surface may indicate a more limited population rather than an urban one.

In response, Lawrence argues that the soil is heavily compacted and undisturbed for centuries, meaning many artifacts may still lie underground. He believes Semiyarka can be considered a “city” in the sense that it performed urban functions—heavy industry, political authority—which set it apart from surrounding rural settlements.

Archaeologists have already begun excavations, hoping to answer questions such as how many people lived there, how long the settlement existed, and what connections it had with other regions.