Ancient Step Pyramid Dedicated to Horse Cult Discovered by Archaeologists in Kazakhstan

A 4,000-year-old step pyramid dating to the Bronze Age has been discovered by archaeologists in Kazakhstan’s Abai region.

Archaeologists from the L. N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University 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 such items as 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.

Used as graves with elaborate tunnels and labyrinths underneath, step pyramids are usually similar in shape to a geometric pyramid. Step pyramids were developed in Egypt by the architect Imhotep for for Pharaoh Djoser between 2667 BCE–48 BCE.

“The steppe pyramid is built with great precision,” said Ulan Umitkaliyev, historian and head of ENU’s archeology and ethnology department 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 earrings belonging to women, and other types of jewelry that, according to Umitkaliyev, “indicate that this Bronze Age was the center of culture in ancient times.”