Bronze Age "City of Seven Ravines" unearthed in central Asia after 3,500 years
An expansive ancient city has been unearthed in central Asia , shedding light on the area's industrial history and ranking as "one of the most remarkable archaeological discoveries in this region for decades," according to the lead author of a landmark new report on the site.
The report, from researchers at the United Kingdom 's Durham University and University College London as well as Kazakhstan 's Toraighyrov University, offers the fullest picture to date of what Semiyarka, the "City of Seven Ravines," may have been like in its prime more than 3,500 years ago.
Located on the Kazakh Steppe, a vast grassland that covers northern Kazakhstan and parts of Russia, Semiyarka spanned some 350 acres and is currently the largest known ancient settlement in that region, according to the report. Originating around 1600 B.C.E. during the Bronze Age, the city was among only a few production centers at the time and the first on the Kazakh Steppe now known to have had bronze-producing capabilities.
That's important for understanding the early communities of the steppe region, researchers said, as the archaeological evidence for Semiyarka's well-organized metal economy challenges prior beliefs that such societies did not exist in the area when Semiyarka did. The ancient city, which is called "Seven Ravines" because of its location overlooking multiple valleys, developed during a period where nomadic people began to form permanent or semipermanent settlements.
