First revealed in spy photos, a Bronze Age city emerges from the steppe
Nestled within the expansive Kazakh Steppe, the ancient city of Semiyarka, once a thriving hub of activity, now exists only as low earthen mounds and scattered artifacts. Recent archaeological surveys led by Miljana Radivojevic from University College London have shed light on this Bronze Age settlement, which thrived approximately 3,500 years ago. Through advanced mapping techniques, including drone technology and ground-penetrating radar, researchers have uncovered the layout of a 140-hectare city that was once bustling with life. The findings suggest that Semiyarka was not just a mere settlement but a vibrant center where nomadic herders and traders interacted with skilled metalworkers and merchants, fostering a unique blend of cultures and economies.
The archaeological team has revealed that Semiyarka featured rows of houses built on earthworks, a significant central building, and a neighborhood dedicated to workshops where artisans smelted and cast bronze. Its strategic location on a promontory overlooking the Irtysh River valley provided the city with a commanding view, allowing it to control movement along the river and valley, which was crucial for trade and communication during that period. This geographical advantage, coupled with the city’s metalworking industry, likely positioned Semiyarka as a key player in regional trade networks. The name “Semiyarka,” meaning City of Seven Ravines, reflects not just its topographical features but also hints at the complex social interactions that took place within its walls, making it an important archaeological site for understanding the dynamics of ancient civilizations in Central Asia.
As excavations continue, the insights gained from Semiyarka promise to enrich our understanding of Bronze Age societies, their economies, and their interactions with one another. The juxtaposition of settled and nomadic lifestyles in this city illustrates the complexity of human adaptation and cultural exchange in ancient times, revealing a tapestry of life that once flourished on the Kazakh Steppe. The work of Radivojevic and her team not only highlights the significance of Semiyarka but also emphasizes the importance of modern archaeological methods in uncovering the hidden stories of our past.
Today all that’s left of the ancient city of Semiyarka are a few low earthen mounds and some scattered artifacts, nearly hidden beneath the waving grasses of the Kazakh Steppe, a vast swath of grassland that stretches across northern Kazakhstan and into Russia. But recent surveys and excavations reveal that 3,500 years ago, this empty plain was a bustling city with a thriving metalworking industry, where nomadic herders and traders might have mingled with settled metalworkers and merchants.
Radivojevic and Lawrence stand on the site of Semiyarka.
Credit:
Peter J. Brown
Welcome to the City of Seven Ravines
University College of London archaeologist Miljana Radivojevic and her colleagues recently mapped the site with drones and geophysical surveys (like ground-penetrating radar, for example), tracing the layout of a 140-hectare city on the steppe in what’s now Kazakhstan.
The Bronze Age city once boasted rows of houses built on earthworks, a large central building, and a neighborhood of workshops where artisans smelted and cast bronze. From its windswept promontory, it held a commanding view of a narrow point in the Irtysh River valley, a strategic location that may have offered the city “control over movement along the river and valley bottom,” according to Radivojevic and her colleagues. That view inspired archaeologists’ name for the city: Semiyarka, or City of Seven Ravines.
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