The wind whips across the Kazakh steppe where golden grass meets wide horizons. From a distance, the silhouette of stone seems odd—flat-topped, geometrically perfect. But as you approach, you realize this is no natural hill: it is an ancient monument, buried nearly four millennia—and just now emerging from the soil.
That image captures the moment when archaeologists revealed a remarkable discovery near the village of Toktamys, in east-Kazakhstan’s Abai region: a large, hexagonal step pyramid from the Bronze Age, a structure unlike anything previously known on the Eurasian steppes.
Built with precision, adorned with animal imagery, especially horses, and possibly tied to ritual practice, this pyramid is rewriting what we thought we knew about steppe cultures.
Discovery And Significance
The pyramid is part of the Kyrykungir complex, a monument site near Toktamys, under excavation by L. N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University since about 2014.
The structure is hexagonal, with each of its six sides measuring approximately 13.8 meters long. Between each side, there are eight rows of stones—or more precisely, there are eight tiers visible, with rows of stone forming the faces of the hexagon.
Though its exact height isn’t clear, its footprint covers roughly 500 square meters, making it an imposing structure for its time.
Ornate Design, Purpose, And Animal Symbolism
It’s not just the geometry that astonishes. The pyramid’s outer walls are decorated with petroglyph-style images of animals, especially horses, and horse bones have been found around the structure. This suggests that the site may have functioned as a worship center for a “horse cult” — one in which horses played a central, possibly sacred, role in ritual life.
Other artifacts discovered include ceramics, jewelry (female gold earrings among them), and various Bronze Age relics that indicate the culture responsible for this structure had developed artistry, ritual, and hierarchies.
The Fourth Point: When, How, And Why
Dating places the structure in the early Bronze Age (roughly 2nd millennium BCE), making it about 4,000 years old. The pyramid is not an isolated tomb but part of a larger funerary and ritual landscape.
The Kyrykungir complex also contains burial mounds from the Hun and Saka periods, indicating long-term use of the site as a place of ritual and remembrance.
The scale, precision, and decoration suggest a ceremonial or cultic purpose, likely connected to the importance of horses to steppe life. The circles built into the pyramid’s design, along with horse remains, point to ritual activity, perhaps tied to cosmology or seasonal events.
Some archaeologists note that calling it a “pyramid” is interpretive—it may function more like a mausoleum or ritual complex than the pyramids of Egypt or Mesoamerica. Scholars urge caution until peer-reviewed publications confirm details about its interior, any human remains, and specific ritual practices.
Storytelling Moment: Beyond Stones And Artifacts
Imagine joining the excavation team at first light, the steppe stretching endlessly before you. Horses graze quietly nearby, their breath rising in pale clouds against the cool morning air.
As the sun begins to climb, its rays catch something unexpected—a straight line of stone peeking through the earth. Step by step, a carefully shaped wall reveals itself, its stones laid with meticulous care thousands of years ago.
At one corner lies a striking, dark stone slab with a flat surface, as if designed to hold offerings. Nearby, carved images of horses seem to race across the rock, their slender legs frozen mid-stride, an echo of movement from long ago.
Leading the team is Ulan Umitkaliyev of the Eurasian National University, who notes with pride that the structure’s design is remarkably precise: a perfect hexagon with sides nearly fourteen meters long, built in eight visible layers, and containing several concentric circles within.
Scattered nearby are fragments of plain pottery and delicate gold earrings—traces of the women who may have once lived, worshipped, and grieved here. The remains of horses lie intermingled with the stones, suggesting they were offered in reverence.
In this quiet moment, the site feels alive: the sound of distant hooves, the rush of wind, and the weight of belief that turned this into more than a tomb. It was a place of memory, ritual, and perhaps a vision of the universe as seen through the eyes of an ancient steppe people.
Implications: What This Means For Prehistory
This discovery forces us to reconsider steppe societies and their complexity. It shows that nomadic cultures were capable of monumental architecture, collective labor, and enduring ritual practice.
The emphasis on horses strengthens the idea that horses were not only practical animals but also sacred symbols of status, movement, and identity. The hexagonal pyramid demonstrates a desire to create something permanent, transcending generations.
Scholars stress that this is only the beginning. Further research will reveal whether human remains are present, whether astronomical alignments exist, and what the full story of this culture was.
Conclusion: Hope In Discovery
On the vast Eurasian steppe, this pyramid stands as a stone-carved reminder that human imagination and devotion can endure across millennia. Its discovery deepens our respect for ancient societies and invites us to keep searching for the voices they left behind.
Each uncovered artifact—every stone, every horse carving—tells us we are still part of an unbroken story, one that began long before us and will continue long after.
