Search places, or jump to a section
CategoriesKurgans
Steppe burial mounds heaped over pit graves, from the Caucasus to the Altai.
🇷🇺 Russia · Kurgan
Early Iron Age (Pazyryk) · Pazyryk (Siberian Ice Maiden horizon)
Southern flank of Ukok Plateau World Heritage 768 (2,200 m, 49°21′N 87°30′E) Ak-Alakha River valley palsa permafrost where Molodin 1993 Princess of Ukok site (Ak-Alakha-3) and 6 new kurgans form…
🇰🇿 Kazakhstan · Tumulus
Early to Middle Sarmatian to Parthian · Western Sarmatian (Aorsian–Alan fringe)
Salt-dome kurgan field 88 km east of Oral: 23 stepped mounds around Permian diapir with Parthian coin.
🇺🇦 Ukraine · Tumulus
Scythian Classical (4th c BCE, Scytho-Greek contact) · Pontic Scythian (Scythian–Bosporan Greek elite network)
18-m Pontic Scythian royal hill-mound (430–400 BCE) with Greek-Scythian gold comb and 1.4-kg queen diadem.
🇰🇿 Kazakhstan · Tumulus
Tasmola (Early Saka) · Northern Tasmola network
Northern Tasmola horseshoe kurgan 55 km south of Astana: 42-m mound with 18-m mustache avenue to solstice.
🇰🇿 Kazakhstan · Tumulus
Late Saka to Wusun transition (180–100 BCE) · Saka late–Wusun transition (Boralday south picket)
5 south picket kurgans 18–26 m spaced 90 m: boundary sentinels with Han silk 140 BCE earliest silk in Kazakhstan.
🇰🇿 Kazakhstan · Tumulus
Early Iron Age (Early Saka, Tasmola, 9th–8th c BCE) · Tasmola early Saka (Central Kazakhstan)
Largest Tasmola mound (60 m, 820–780 BCE) with 430-gold elite couple — contemporary with Arzhan 1.
🇷🇺 Russia · Tumulus
Early Iron Age (Sauromatian to Early Sarmatian) · Sauromatian / Early Sarmatian (Prokhorovka)
40+ Sauromatian–Early Sarmatian kurgans (600–200 BCE) — 'Amazon' female warrior necropolis on Ilek River.
🇷🇺 Russia · Tumulus
Early Iron Age (Tagar, Scythian-type) · Tagar (Scythian-Siberian)
Thousand-strong Tagar kurgan field (800 BCE–100 CE) — Khakas-Minusinsk Scythian-Style horizon.
🇷🇺 Russia · Kurgan
Early Iron Age (Chuya Pazyryk / Saka) · Pazyryk-derived Chuya steppe
Chuya intermontane basin floor (1,750 m, 49°55′N 88°30′E 49.92,88.50 tectonic depression, Chuya River) dense kurgan necropolis on dry steppe: 35 mounds 6-32 m diameter (1760 m at Tydtuyaryk…
🇰🇿 Kazakhstan · Tumulus
Early Iron Age (Saka, 600–400 BCE) · Saka of Semirechye (Issyk–Besshatyr, eastern Saka)
31-mound Saka royal necropolis (600–400 BCE) — Ili River's 'Five Tents' with 105-m royal mound and log house.
🇲🇳 Mongolia · Tumulus
Late Bronze to Early Iron (Mongolian Bronze) · Mongolian Late Bronze pastoralists
80+ Late Bronze khirigsuurs (1400–800 BCE) on Arkhangai plateau — horse-skull cairn field at 1680 m.
🇰🇿 Kazakhstan · Kurgan
Early Iron Age (Sarmatian / Sauromatian) · Sarmatian (Sauromatian)
Twin royal Sarmatian kurgans (85 m asl, 51°11′48″N 52°10′37″E per 51.196575N 52.176884E) on the Ural-Mugodzhar steppe east of Ural River.
🇲🇳 Mongolia · Tumulus
Early Iron Age (Pazyryk-related) · Chandman / Pazyryk (Uyuk–Chandman)
35 Pazyryk-hybrid kurgans (700–300 BCE) — frozen felt graves on Chandman piedmont.
🇷🇺 Russia · Tumulus
Late Sarmatian (1st c BCE–1st c CE, Prokhorovka to Alan transition) · Late Sarmatian (Bashkir Prokhorovka–Alan transition)
Bashkir steppe Sarmatian chieftain mound (30 BCE–60 CE) 42 m with scale-armour horse and Parthian faience.
🇰🇿 Kazakhstan · Tumulus
Early to Middle Sarmatian (Sauromatian–Early Sarmatian, 500–350 BCE) · Sauromatian–Early Sarmatian (Prokhorovka transitional)
40+ Sarmatian royal mounds (5th–4th c BCE) with 820-g gold torque and Amazon warrior — West Kazakh Ural steppe.
🇰🇿 Kazakhstan · Kurgan
Early Iron Age (Saka Tigrakhauda) · Saka (Central Asian Scythian)
High mountain (2,450 m, 43°13′N 77°05′E) Saka kurgan chain in Tuyuk-Su Gorge, Ile Alatau north slope above Greater Almaty moraine (Issyk Golden Man 43° north same massif).
🇷🇺 Russia · Kurgan
Early Iron Age (Arzhan-Chertomlyk) · Arzhan (Early Scythian / Saka Royal)
Second terrace north of Uyuk River (950 m, 52°03′N 93°51′E) in the Tuva Valley of the Kings, complementing Arzhan 1 (9th c BCE) and Arzhan 2 (7th c BCE) on south terrace and Tunnug 1 (9th c) centre.
🇰🇿 Kazakhstan · Kurgan
Early Saka (7th–6th c. BCE) · Early Saka (Shilikty facies)
Shilikty north: 5 early royal kurgans (62 m) 2.2 km north of Golden Ridge, Zaisan valley 820 m.
🇰🇿 Kazakhstan · Tumulus
Early Iron Age (Early Saka, Tasmola culture, 8th–5th c BCE) · Tasmola (early Saka, Central Kazakhstan)
Tasmola royal dromos kurgan (760–520 BCE) 45 m — eponymous early Saka mound with 200 gold plaques.
🇰🇿 Kazakhstan · Kurgan
Late Saka (post-Besshatyr royal) · Late Saka with Chinese contact
Besshatyr outlier M16: 48-m isolated mound 2.5 km NE with Balbal stela and Chinese mirror, 300 BCE.
🇲🇳 Mongolia · Kurgan
Late Bronze to Early Iron (Khirigsuur / Deer Stone-Khirigsuur Complex) · Mongolian Late Bronze pastoral
Steppe-forest ecotone kurgan and deer-stone complex (1,580 m, 46°29′28″N 104°07′07″E 46.4912N 104.1186E Bayan-Öndör) bridging Mongolian Khirigsuur (Late Bronze 1300-700 BCE) and deer stone-khirigsuur…
🇰🇿 Kazakhstan · Kurgan
Late Bronze to Early Iron (Andronovo / Saka) + Turkic · Andronovo / Saka / Turkic
Ili River terrace kurgan field (650 m, 43°56′N 75°32′E 43.93,75.53) downstream from Tamgaly UNESCO rock-art gorge (1145), on second terrace above Ili.
🇷🇺 Russia · Kurgan
Early Iron Age (Pazyryk culture) · Pazyryk (Altai Scythian)
Katun River headwaters kurgan field (973 m, 50°16′11″N 85°36′39″E 50.2697,85.6108) on moraine terrace above Katun (Ust-Koksa village 973 m, Dfc climate, UTC+7), bridging Pazyryk culture (5th-3rd c…
🇷🇺 Russia · Kurgan
Early Iron Age (Scythian / Uyuk-Sagly) · Uyuk / Sagly Scythian (Arzhan-derived)
Mid-Uyuk-Seedling kurgan chain (850 m, 51°43′N 94°27′E) in Ulug-Khem (Upper Yenisei) floodplain north of Kyzyl, on terrace between Tuva's Uyuk Valley (Arzhan) and Sayan foothills.
