Last week, Ancient Origins uncovered an intriguing discovery of a buried gold treasure left by the ancient Saka people in a mysterious mound in Kazakhstan. This discovery has greatly assisted archaeologists in unveiling the secrets of the ancient Scythian civilization. Referred to as the “golden man,” the central figure of the Saka burial mound has now been found.
The treasure was unearthed in the Yeleke Sazy burial mound in the remote Tarbagatai Mountains of eastern Kazakhstan. Believed to be a young man who passed away in the 8th-7th centuries BC at just 17 or 18 years old, he stood at an impressive height of 165-170 centimeters (5.4-5.6 ft). According to the Archaeology News Network, this finding sheds light on the customs and rituals of the Saka people from centuries ago.
The Ministry of Information and Communications in Kazakhstan provided insight into why the human remains were given the nickname “Golden Man.” According to them, the young man was laid to rest adorned in gold, with every piece of his clothing intricately embroidered with gold beads. Additionally, he was buried with a large gold torc around his neck, indicating his noble origins, and a dagger in a golden quiver placed beside him.
The discovery aligns with the belief that important individuals in the society were buried in the Saka Burial Mound. According to Yegor Kitov, an anthropologist from Moscow, the findings and the large size of the mound indicate that the young man buried inside held a high social status. Kitov also suggests that “The body was mummified so that those traveling from distant places could have time to bid farewell to the man,” further illustrating the man’s social standing during that era.
The burial mound containing the man’s remains was constructed by individuals belonging to the Saka culture, a nomadic group from Scythia who spoke an Iranian language and resided on the Eurasian Steppe. The Saka were known for their expertise in horsemanship and metalworking.
The Saka were known to bury their elite members in their kurgans, typically in pairs or as a family unit, indicating that there could potentially be additional skeletons inside the Yeleke Sazy burial mound. There are still numerous sites left to excavate in the vicinity, as it is estimated that there could be around 200 burial sites in various states of preservation nearby. Unfortunately, there are concerns that looting has been a problem in at least some of the kurgans.
