Archaeologists in Almaty, Kazakhstan, have unearthed a rare gold figurine from a burial mound more than 2,300 years old.
Archaeologists in Almaty, Kazakhstan, have unearthed a rare gold figurine from a burial mound more than 2,300 years old.
The dig at the Karagaily burial ground in the Nauryzbai district uncovered a Saka-period kurgan, about 25 metres across, dating to the 4th to 3rd centuries BC. Inside were the remains of what researchers believe were four adults and three children, along with fragments of Saka pottery.
The mound had been looted in antiquity, and most artefacts were scattered. But one piece survived intact: a small cast gold figurine in the shape of a bear, a fine example of the animal-style art the Saka nomads were known for.
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