00:00From ancient settlements to royal tombs, archaeological discoveries in Kazakhstan
00:08offer a window into millennia of early Central Asian civilizations
00:13and help reshape our understanding of modern Kazakh identity.
00:17Welcome to Kazakhstan! Welcome to Modern Nomads!
00:23We begin this episode in Birel, the place in eastern Kazakhstan
00:28widely known for its stunning scenery and archaeological discoveries.
00:32Nestled at the foot of the Altai Mountains, the site holds a remarkable past.
00:37On the brink of a new millennium, Kazakh archaeologists uncover here a tomb of Saka nobles, buried here for over 2,000 years.
00:46Today, it's known as the Valley of the Kings.
00:49After years of archaeological excavations, around 100 aristocratic burials have been uncovered at the site.
00:56While many date back to the Saka period, the necropolis also includes remains from the later Turkic era.
01:02Today, the 170 hectare site is protected and open to the public.
01:08The stone-paved burial mounds form a chain, led by the largest and oldest tomb number one.
01:23The earlier the period, the larger the mount.
01:38These Grand Saka-era tombs offer insights into nomadic traditions, dating back half a millennium before Christ.
01:45The most astonishing discovery was the burial of a royal couple.
01:49Alongside the man and woman, there were 13 horses, all bridled, saddled and decorated with wooden horns, like those of a mountain goat.
01:58This reconstruction stands exactly where the original burial was uncovered.
02:03Right next to the necropolis is a museum showcasing all the discovered artifacts, wooden jewelry and decorations animal-inspired, adorned with gold, household items and reconstructions of humans and horses.
02:17Today, the site draws visitors from across Kazakhstan and abroad.
02:22As Kazakhstan is rich in ancient heritage, we are now heading to the outskirts of Eskimen city,
02:51where another archaeological site awaits.
02:54Aqbaor is a complex of settlements dating back to the bronze and early Iron Age.
02:59We often find fragments of ceramics in the buildings.
03:06Can I keep this?
03:08No?
03:09Okay.
03:13In this village, it was very rich.
03:15There was a building very deeply.
03:17This is one building, here is the second.
03:20And the third one went there.
03:21So, they could create a building with a center.
03:24So, all the buildings were like this.
03:27This discovery breaks the stereotype that the Saka was purely nomadic.
03:31The settled communities reveal that today's heritage is rooted in diverse and advanced civilizations.
03:37From East Kazakhstan, we head to the heart of the country, Astana.
03:52The capital houses Kazakhstan's most iconic archaeological find, an earth in 1969 from the Issyktium in the south, the Golden Man or Altinadam in Kazakh.
04:04This is our architecture of the village.
04:05Qurig and valiant kors.
04:06This is the same property that exists.
04:07This is the one building that is found in the territory of Kazakhstan,
04:12this is the one building that is found in the territory of Kazakhstan,
04:23These are images of animals, they are performed in a bird style.
04:26These are images of birds, of a mountain lion.
04:29In the windows are the original features of these items.
04:33These are elements of the head cut.
04:35On the head cut, in the center, if you look at it,
04:39you can see the images of the horses with a mountain lion.
04:44Today Kazakhstan's archaeological finds continue to attract crowds,
04:48both local and international,
04:50becoming powerful symbols of the nation's ancient legacy
04:54and carrying that heritage into the future.
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