Ancient treasure dating back thousands of years unearthed in burial mound
A recent discovery made in a 2,000-year-old burial site in Kazakhstan shed light on the mysterious Kangyu Era. The findings included gold jewelry and a bronze mirror.
In the Turkish region of Kazakhstan, archaeologists discovered ancient treasures in a burial mound dating back approximately 2,000 years.
Researchers point to the Kangyu Era as the time period that these ancient objects belong to. Kangyu state was located along Silk Road, which refers to a network of routes that traders used, connecting the East and West, according to National Geographic.
A translated press release published on Turkistan's regional government website in May 2024 shared the findings of a jug, a bronze mirror and a Roman fibula, among other items, during the excavation of three burial mounds. Two of the burial mounds had been looted, but one contained the ancient relics.
The bronze mirror is thought to have originated in China, according to the press release, during the Han dynasty (206 BCE–220 CE). Mirrors similar to the one recently unearthed have been found in Afghanistan and the southern Ural region.
The bronze mirror was an item of high value, an object used by those rich and influential. The finding of this mirror is a clue that the woman who was buried beside it held high status, according to the press release.
The gold earrings took the shape of the moon, embellished with turquoise and noble ruby, according to the press release.
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A shoe and belt buckle, as well as an arrowhead specifically designed for bird hunting were also found.
The discovery was led by a team from Kazakhstan’s Ozbekali Zhanibekov University and local government archaeologists, according to Live Science.
The ancient artifacts display the powerful empires that Kangyu had diplomatic relationships with, according to the press release, including ancient Rome and China.
Professor Alexander Podushkin, who led the expedition, explained that these ancient relics will be brought to the National Museum of the Republic of Kazakhstan in Astana, according to the press release.
