Under the Shanyrak: Scythian Gold and Nomadic Cultures of Eurasia

The regulars’ table Under the Shanyrak in Berlin led the participants from the early nomads of the Scythians to the digital nomads of today.

When you think of Kazakhstan, endless, vast grasslands and nomads with their herds and yurts often come to mind first. But the Great Steppe holds much more than just spectacular landscapes. It is a treasure chest of world history, a region in which cultures were created, trade routes such as the famous Silk Road fell and empires rose and also disappeared again. The sixth edition of the regulars’ table Under the Shanyrak, to which the Embassy of the Republic of Kazakhstan had invited to the Maritim ProArte Hotel in Berlin at the beginning of June, showed how fascinating this heritage is to this day.

Just a few steps away from the busy Friedrichstraße, a window into a long-gone world opened for us that evening. Under the title Great Kazakh Steppe – Glory of Scythian gold and the early period of the nomadic cultures of Eurasia, the invited guests embarked on a journey through the millennia of Central Asian history.

Already in his welcoming speech, the Ambassador of the Republic of Kazakhstan to Germany, Nurlan Onzhanov, made it clear that the history of the steppe and nomadism is much more than a sequence of archaeological finds. It is part of a cultural identity that continues to have an impact even into the present of today’s digitized world, such as the digital nomans. The ambassador explained: In today’s fast-paced world, everything is constantly in motion – and constant changes in the economy, technology, finance, religion, ecology and information affect us at the same time. In this sense, we are just all nomads of the digital steppe.

The peoples of the steppe, of whom the ancient historian Herodotus already reported, had not only been skilled and respected horsemen and traders, but had for centuries shaped one of the most important cultural and economic areas of Eurasia, which even today is receiving more and more attention than ever, including in Germany. At the end of his speech, Ambassador Onzhanov underlined that the scientific dialogue between Kazakhstan and Germany in particular is a great success, connecting people, creating mutual understanding and opening up new perspectives for the future.

After the ambassador’s speech, Prof. Dr. Anton Gass from the Museum of Prehistory and Early History Berlin led the audience deep into the mountains of the Kazakh Altai. In the border triangle of Kazakhstan, Russia and China, the famous Kurgans are located near Berel – burial mounds of the Scythians, which are among the most spectacular archaeological sites in Eurasia due to their rich grave goods.

What is particularly remarkable here is not only the richness of the tombs, but the amazing way in which they are preserved. The Scythian builders masterfully knew how to use nature for themselves. Due to the construction of their burial facilities, an ice lens was created around the burial chambers, which acted like a gigantic freezer for thousands of years. Horses with richly decorated bridle, artfully made clothes made of silk, wooden objects and even human remains such as skin and hair have been preserved as a result until our time.

Gass also recalled a German researcher whose name is hardly known outside the scientific community today: Friedrich Wilhelm Radloff. Already in 1865, during an expedition in the Altai, the Turkologist came across the Kurgans of Berel and documented them with amazing accuracy. His records form the basis for further research of the Kurgans.

For many visitors, another discovery that Prof. Gass drew attention to may have been particularly surprising. Kazakhstan also has a kind of pyramid. In the Jetisu Region, east of Almaty near the small town of Shelek, an unusual Kurgan rises in the Zhuan-Tobe burial ground, the shape of which is more reminiscent of the monumental buildings of Egypt than the typical round burial mounds of the steppe. To this day, the structure remains a mystery. There is much to suggest that it served less as a burial place than as a cult place.

At the end of his lecture, Prof. Gass discussed the recurring, often mystical, golden animal symbols of the Scythians, cast from gold and masterfully shaped. Many of these mythical creatures of the early nomadic cultures, such as the winged and horned horses, have been adopted by the present Republic of Kazakhstan as a state symbol in the coat of arms and thus underline this historical heritage.

From the ice tombs of the Scythians, the journey then led to the desert landscapes on the Aral Sea. Prof. Dr. Finn Schreiber from the German Archaeological Institute presented the largely unknown Dzhety-Asar culture. Between about 300 BC and 600 AD, numerous fortified settlements arose along a now dried-up branch of the Syr-Darya, between the Aral Sea and today’s Baikonur cosmodrome, which were among the earliest urban centers of the region east of the Aral Sea.

While some of these sites have already been explored, the archaeologist Prof. Schreiber’s interest is focused on the ruins of Kara-Asar (Kazakh for Black Fortress). There, during the recent excavations in the remains of the settlement, Schreiber’s team uncovered artistic ceramics and discovered evidence of a local pottery workshop. Also, his team noticed that some rooms were plastered with black paint. An indication of how this place perhaps got its name. Special attention was also attracted by a small bronze piece of jewelry in the form of a pig – a find that raises new questions about the cultural connections and everyday life of the former inhabitants, since the breeding of pigs disappeared at the beginning of the Islamization of the region in the 6th century.

However, the past of the Great Steppe should remain alive not only in scientific publications. That is why Ambassador Onzhanov announced a cultural highlight for Germany during the event: from October 2027 to March 2028, the State Museum of Archeology Chemnitz (smac) will present a large special exhibition on the most significant archaeological treasures of Kazakhstan. About 250 objects from the collections of the National Museum of the Republic of Kazakhstan are to find their way to Saxony. Gold jewelry in the famous animal style of the nomadic horsemen, weapons, horse harness and other artifacts never exhibited abroad will tell the story of a culture that has shaped the face of Eurasia for millennia.

After so much history, the guests finally had the opportunity to experience Kazakhstan with all their senses. The evening ended in a relaxed atmosphere at Bauyrsaq – the golden-brown baked pieces of dough reminiscent often referred to as Bread of the nomads as well as the traditional milk dishes Balkaymak and Kaymak.

The regulars’ table Under the Shanyrak once again showed that the Great Steppe is much more than a geographical barren landscape. It is a cultural space full of stories, secrets and discoveries. Those who embark on this journey will encounter not only the nomads of past millennia, but also the roots of the country of Kazakhstan, which today presents its history to the world with a new and growing self-confidence.

We would like to thank the Embassy of the Republic of Kazakhstan for the invitation and the Honorary Consul of the Republic of Kazakhstan for Baden-Württemberg, Mrs. Dorothea Haller-Laible for the valuable support of the event.