China and Kazakhstan find Pazyryk culture artefacts
In July, a joint Chinese Kazakh archaeological team conducted its first archaeological research and excavations in the Lake Markakol area of Kazakhstan, providing new material evidence for the study of the burial culture of the ancient Pazyryk culture. When archaeologists' spades first touch the ground that has concealed millennia old secrets, the past ceases to be an abstraction – it becomes tangible, material, alive. The Pazyryk culture, which existed in the mountain valleys of the Altai more than two thousand years ago, left behind burial mounds where not just warriors and chieftains rest, but entire epochs.
And today, when Chinese and Kazakh scientists for the first time jointly explore these sacred places, they are not just excavating ancient tombs – they are restoring a dialogue between civilisations that was interrupted for centuries. Gold foil, horse bones, pottery and iron harness – each find becomes a voice from the depths of time, telling of how people lived, believed and died, whose names have been erased by history, but whose traces remain forever.
The Pazyryk culture is one of the Central Asian Scythian period cultures. It existed in the vast Altai mountain region from the 6th to the 2nd centuries BC. This culture left clear evidence, represented by unique burial complexes. The archaeological team was jointly established by the Silk Road Archaeological Research Centre in Shaanxi Province in northwest China and Al Farabi Kazakh National University in Almaty, Kazakhstan.
The team conducted systematic excavations of two Pazyryk culture tombs. Although both tombs were damaged to varying degrees, a number of important artefacts were discovered, including human bones, pottery, gold foil, horse bones and iron horse harnesses. These artefacts provide valuable material evidence for studying the burial system, burial customs and material culture of the Pazyryk culture in the Lake Markakol area.
Among the most famous finds associated with the Pazyryk culture is the renowned Pazyryk carpet, discovered in 1949 in one of the royal burial mounds of the Altai Mountains. This oldest surviving pile carpet in the world, dating back to the 5th–4th centuries BC, is considered the ancestor of Turkmen carpets and is made in the characteristic Turkmen technique of carpet weaving. The carpet features 24 gols (ornamental medallions) arranged symmetrically, symbolising the genealogical tree of Oghuz Khan with his 24 grandsons – the legendary ancestors of the Oghuz Turkmen tribes.
According to researchers, the composition and colour scheme of the Pazyryk carpet have direct parallels with traditional Turkmen carpets. The horse motifs adorning the carpet are identical to traditional Turkmen ornaments, and the 24 central medallions echo the symbolic division of the Turkmen Oghuz into 24 tribes. The carpet is now housed in the State Hermitage Museum in St Petersburg, while a precise modern copy has been created in Ashgabat.
"This was the first such work carried out in the Altai region of Kazakhstan. It has provided a wealth of valuable materials for in depth research on the Pazyryk culture and the early nomadic civilisation of the Altai region," said Shao Huiqiu, a professor at the Silk Road Joint Research Centre for Archaeology. The joint archaeological team also conducted a systematic regional survey of the area around the excavation site and carried out field studies of more than 50 tombs from the Pazyryk culture period.
The Pazyryk culture, named after the first excavations at the Pazyryk tract in the Altai, is one of the most striking Scythian period cultures in Central Asia. Its bearers – nomadic tribes – left behind burial mounds with rich grave goods, including famous felt carpets, wooden chariots and mummified bodies with tattoos. The joint Chinese Kazakh expedition, launched under the Belt and Road Initiative, aims to deepen scientific cooperation between the two countries and study common cultural roots.
Lake Markakol, located in the East Kazakhstan Region, is a unique natural area where many archaeological sites have been preserved. The artefacts found will be studied in laboratories, and their analysis is expected to shed light on cultural exchanges between Altai nomads and the ancient civilisations of China. The expedition has become an important step in understanding how peoples interacted at the crossroads of steppes and mountains, and its results will be presented at international conferences.
As CCTV+ reports, the joint excavations at Lake Markakol open a new page in the study of ancient Eurasian cultures, demonstrating that archaeology can not only reconstruct the past but also strengthen scientific and friendly ties between countries in the present.
