Late Saka Period Burial Mound from Eastern Saryarka

A burial mound from the Late Saka period (4th–3rd centuries BC) in Eastern Saryarka, Kazakhstan, provides new insights into cultural differentiation within the Saka world. Radiocarbon dating and artifact analysis confirmed its affiliation with the Saka-Wusun culture, revealing a handmade ceramic vessel and a stone altar with traces of organic substances, ochre, and fire exposure, suggesting its use in funerary rituals. Comparative analysis with neighboring regions highlights the complexity of ethno-cultural interactions during this period, deepening our understanding of Central and Eastern Kazakhstan's Early Iron Age chronology and cultural relationships.

Aitkali, A. K., Kurmangaliev, A. K., Erzhanova, A. E., Karimbaeva, Z. R.,. (2025). Late Saka Period Burial Mound from Eastern Saryarka. Sibirskie Istoricheskie Issledovaniya, (2), 189–208. https://doi.org/10.17223/2312461x/48/9