ASTANA – Archaeologists in Kazakhstan’s Kostanai Region have uncovered three Neolithic burials in the Auliekol district, a rare discovery that researchers say could rank among the country’s most significant archaeological finds in recent years. Archaeologists from Akhmet Baitursynuly Kostanai Regional University’s Turgai expedition have uncovered three Neolithic burials in the Auliekol district.
Photo credit: Irina Shevnina Click to see the map in full size. The map is designed by The Astana Times. The burials, tentatively dated to the seventh to fifth millennia B.C., were found beneath the floors of ancient dwellings belonging to the Makhandzhar culture, according to the Turgai archaeological expedition of the Akhmet Baitursynuly Kostanai Regional University.
The expedition is conducting research this year at three archaeological sites in the Auliekol district, including Shili, Sulukol and Buruktal. The researches found the burials of one child and two adults beneath the floors of ancient dwellings. Photo credit: Irina Shevnina.
Archaeologist Irina Shevnina said the team uncovered the remains while excavating Neolithic settlements. “In addition to the traditional finds, such as stone and bone tools, ceramics and ornaments, we discovered three burials, one child and two adults. They were located beneath the floors of ancient dwellings,” she said.
Shevnina described the discovery as highly unusual, noting that Stone Age burials are extremely rare, particularly those dating to the Neolithic period. “For Kazakhstan, and especially for the Kostanai Region, this is something of a sensation. We still need to carry out a detailed study, but we can say with confidence that these are Stone Age burials,” she said.
The discovery also marks an important step in the study of the Makhandzhar culture. While archaeologists had previously documented ancient settlement sites, they had not succeeded in identifying the structures of the dwellings themselves. Research at the Shili site has been underway since last year, when archaeologists first identified semi-subterranean dwellings associated with the Makhandzhar culture.
The newly discovered burials were found beneath the floors of those structures. According to the researchers, the burial practice was characteristic of several ancient cultures in neighboring regions, including Central Asia, where during the Stone Age the dead were often buried directly beneath the floors of homes.