Semiyarka Unearthed: Possible Bronze Age City and Rare Tin–Bronze Production on Kazakhstan’s Steppe

On the open grasslands of present-day Kazakhstan, archaeologists have identified a large Bronze Age settlement, Semiyarka, that may have functioned as a regional center of exchange and power around 1600 BC. Nicknamed “The City of Seven Ravines” for its position overlooking a network of valleys, the site was first recorded in the early 2000s but only revealed its full scale after systematic surveys beginning in 2018.

What the team found

The survey indicates an occupation area of roughly 140 hectares (about 346 acres) on a strategic ridge above the Irtysh River valley. The evidence recovered so far includes the outlines of at least 15 structures—several with internal divisions consistent with houses—a central monumental building that may have served ritual or administrative functions, and scattered surface finds such as pottery fragments (from at least 114 ceramic vessels) and metallurgical debris.

Metallurgy and methods

Of particular interest are signs that tin–bronze metallurgy may have occurred at Semiyarka. If confirmed, this would be only the second published example of local tin–bronze production in the Eurasian steppe, a region known for large numbers of tin–bronze artifacts but few documented production sites. The researchers combined satellite imagery, analysis of mid-20th-century Corona spy photographs, systematic 50‑meter grid surface surveys and magnetometry (a noninvasive method that detects buried structures and metal) to map the site and identify areas for excavation.

“It’s very exciting, because it’s such a rare find to have tin bronze production in this area,” said Miljana Radivojević, lead author and associate professor in archaeological science at University College London. “We know we have hundreds of thousands of tin–bronze artifacts from the Bronze Age steppe and only one published site for production; Semiyarka may be the second.”

Debate and interpretation

Scholars caution that surface finds alone are not definitive proof of an urban population. James Johnson, an archaeologist at the University of Wyoming who was not part of the project, noted the low-density scatter of pottery on the surface and limited visible evidence for metallurgy, arguing these patterns do not yet demonstrate the demographic density usually associated with cities. He recommended further study of middens and wider surface collections to clarify settlement patterns.

Coauthor Dan Lawrence of Durham University, who led the systematic survey, agrees the current evidence does not conclusively prove a large urban population but emphasizes that Semiyarka is markedly different from the seasonal, mobile sites typically found on the steppe. He argues the site shows signs of concentrated industry and centralized functions that distinguish it from surrounding pastoral settlements.

Michael Frachetti of Washington University in St. Louis, an expert on Bronze Age pastoralism, suggested Semiyarka could represent a hybrid form—a central place that balanced mobile pastoral lifeways with permanent activities like metallurgy, political gatherings and trade. If metallurgy is confirmed at scale, it would reshape ideas about economic organization and connectivity across the steppe.

Next steps

Excavations are ongoing. The team hopes further fieldwork will clarify key questions: How many people lived at Semiyarka? How long was it occupied? What was the scale and organization of metal production? What regional connections did the settlement maintain? So far, geophysical surveying and targeted excavation have revealed promising leads, but much remains to be uncovered.

Open questions remain: whether Semiyarka was a true city by demographic standards or a regionally important central place with specialized production and administrative roles. The site highlights how much remains unknown about social complexity on the Bronze Age Eurasian steppe and points to the potential for further major discoveries as investigations continue.

Original reporting by Taylor Nicioli; research led by Miljana Radivojević and Dan Lawrence.