Taldy-2 Royal Kurgan (Taldy II — Tasmola Arystan)
Taldy II Kurgan · Taldy 2 Saka Royal Mound
Early Iron Age (Early Saka, Tasmola, 9th–8th c BCE)·Tasmola early Saka (Central Kazakhstan)·🇰🇿 Karaganda Region, Karkaraly District, Taldy River valley, Taldy 2 necropolis, Kazakhstan
About
About Taldy-2 Royal Kurgan (Taldy II — Tasmola Arystan)
Taldy-2 Kurgan 5 is the largest Tasmola royal mound (60 m diameter, 6 m high, 2,500 m³ fill) in the Taldy valley, 60 km east of Korgantas. Margulan Institute 2010–2016 excavated a double elite burial: an adult male with 300 g gold 'taldy ram' headdress and an adult female (his wife) with 130 gold appliqués, plus two bridled horses. 14C 820–780 BCE places Taldy-2 at the very start of the Scythian horizon, contemporary with Arzhan 1 but architecturally distinct (Central Kazakhstan earth with stone ring versus Tuva pure stone). Pre-dates Besshatyr by 300 years, closing the Kazakhstan Scythian origin gap. Satellite cemetery of 18 kurgans spans the Taldy floodplain.
Why it mattersKazakhstan's earliest dated Saka royal kurgan — direct contemporary of Arzhan 1.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Ram headdress symbolism
Theories
- 01Tasmola as Scythian co-origin
Theories are interpretations, not findings. The seal above tells you how much scholarly weight the place carries.
History
How it came to be
- Built
- c.820 – 780 BCE
- Period
- Early Iron Age (Early Saka, Tasmola, 9th–8th c BCE)
- Culture
- Tasmola early Saka (Central Kazakhstan)
- Builders
- Tasmola Saka royal house
- Purpose
- Royal double burial with horse sacrifice and ancestral cemetery focal point
- Abandoned
- c.700 BCE
- Rediscovered
- 1962 Kadyrbaev; 2010 Beisenov rescue
- Excavation
- Excavated
820 BCE
Royal couple with ram headdress burial
2016
Conservation shelter erected
On the ground
Structures & features
50.1000° N · 72.9000° E · 480 m · 2 mapped features
Gold Ram Headdress (Tall Headdress)
treasure300-g gold ram-ibex headdress on male skull in central chamber
50.1010° N · 72.9010° EHorse Pair Burial at Mound Edge
burialTwo bridled horses 12 m from centre, harnessed with bronze bits
50.0990° N · 72.8990° E