Kazakhstan's Valley of Kings
The Ancients16 Nov 2023

Kazakhstan's Valley of Kings

Gold and horses! Few ancient civilisations were greater masters of metalworking and horse riding than the Saka culture of Central Asia. Also known as the ‘Eastern Scythians’, these peoples ruled over a large area of the Great Steppe more than 2,000 years ago. And recently, new archaeological initiatives in Kazakhstan have started to reveal so much more about these horse lords and their way of life. Great burial mounds have been excavated, revealing a wealth of extraordinary artefacts. From golden sword scabbards to richly-decorated horse gear, it’s fascinating evidence of the long-lasting and rich history that Kazakhstan possesses.


In this very special episode, join Tristan on his venture to Kazakhstan. He visits the remote Altai Mountains in the far east of the country to see an incredibly rich group of Saka tombs, popularly known as Kazakhstan’s Valley of Kings. He interviews Kazakh archaeologist Zhanat Erlanova about the amazing archaeology that has so far been unearthed in this highland valley and what it has revealed about these ancient horse lords of Central Asia.


Following this we return to the UK and Cambridge University, where Drs Rebecca Roberts, Saltanat Amir and Rinat Zhumatayev explain the wider Saka culture, and why the archaeology of Kazakhstan deserves to be much better known.


This episode was edited by Aidan Lonergan


Discover the past with exclusive history documentaries and ad-free podcasts presented by world-renowned historians from History Hit. Watch them on your smart TV or on the go with your mobile device. Get 50% off your first 3 months with code ANCIENTS sign up now for your 14-day free trial HERE.


You can take part in our listener survey here.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Avsnitt(607)

Fall of the Sumerians

Fall of the Sumerians

Tristan Hughes continues our special series on Great Disasters, journeying back to ancient Mesopotamia with Dr Paul Collins to explore the fall of the Sumerians.4,000 years ago, the great cities of Su...

11 Sep 20251h 1min

The Minoan Eruption: Bronze Age Cataclysm

The Minoan Eruption: Bronze Age Cataclysm

More than 3,500 years ago, a massive volcanic eruption devastated Thera - modern day Santorini - engulfing the Bronze Age world in ash and fire. Entire landscapes were buried, ash darkened the skies, ...

7 Sep 202555min

How Greece Shaped Rome with Mary Beard

How Greece Shaped Rome with Mary Beard

Professor Mary Beard and Charlotte Higgins join Tristan in this episode all about Greece and Rome - the two greatest civilisations of classical antiquity.How did the Romans borrow, adapt, and sometime...

4 Sep 202553min

The Sumerians

The Sumerians

More than 5,000 years ago, in what is today southern Iraq, one of the world’s first civilisations emerged. A civilisation often credited with the invention of writing, the wheel and cities. The Sumeri...

31 Aug 202550min

The Sea Peoples

The Sea Peoples

Tristan Hughes sits down with Professor Eric Cline to explore the enigmatic Sea Peoples, often blamed for the catastrophic Bronze Age collapse over 3,000 years ago.Together they explore surviving sour...

28 Aug 20251h 11min

Origins of Homo Sapiens

Origins of Homo Sapiens

Where do we come from? The origins of modern humans stretch back hundreds of thousands of years, and new discoveries are reshaping how we understand our species’ story. In this episode, recorded on lo...

24 Aug 202541min

Ashurbanipal: The Last Great King of Assyria

Ashurbanipal: The Last Great King of Assyria

Known as the 'King of the World' and the last great king of Assyria, Ashurbanipal bestrode the ancient Mesopotamian world as a warrior but also a scholar, ruling the great Assyrian empire at the heigh...

21 Aug 202552min

The White Huns

The White Huns

The Huns weren’t just Attila’s warriors in Europe — in Central Asia, the White Huns built the most powerful Hunnic empire, ruling for a century and dominating the ancient Silk Roads.While the European...

17 Aug 202553min

Populärt inom Historia

massmordarpodden
kod-katastrof
p3-historia
motiv
historiska-brott
olosta-mord
rss-historien-om
historianu-med-urban-lindstedt
historiepodden-se
rss-seriemordarpodden
rss-brottsligt
rss-massmordarpodden
krigshistoriepodden
rss-historiska-brottslingar
nu-blir-det-historia
militarhistoriepodden
harrisons-dramatiska-historia
palmemordet
rss-arkiv-stieg
vetenskapsradion-historia