Bronze Saka-era Knives and Burial Site Uncovered near Toraigyr Lake

Archaeologists and students from Margulan University have discovered rare bronze artifacts during a field expedition at the Saka burial mounds near Lake Toraigyr in Bayanaul district, Pavlodar region, Orda.kz reports.

This year we returned to the known site ‘Toraigyr-6’ and surveyed the stone mound’s summit. There we identified a new cluster of kurgans, ‘Toraigyr-7.’ Excavating two of them, we uncovered bronze knives dating to the early Saka period, said Elena Tusheva, lead curator of the university’s archaeological collections.

The two bronze blades, likely belonging to Saka nomads, are among the oldest such finds in the region. Cast using ancient techniques and local bronze, their design places them firmly in the early Iron Age.

The team also uncovered skeletal remains associated with the Tasmola culture, which were in remarkably good condition, allowing researchers to determine gender, age, and physical traits.

However, the most surprising find was a deeper, older burial from the Andronovo period, uncovered while clearing a lower layer of the site.

Original Author: Raushan Korzhumbekova