Archaeologists in Kazakhstan have documented more than 1,200 ancient petroglyphs and uncovered a rare Turkic runic inscription in the Burkhansay Gorge, revealing thousands of years of human activity in the region.
The discovery was announced by the A. Kh. Margulan Institute of Archaeology following ongoing research in the Zhualy district of Kazakhstan’s Jambyl region.
Researchers say the rock carvings represent a vast “stone archive” created and expanded over nearly 4,000 years, with images dating from the late 3rd millennium BC through to the medieval period.
The petroglyphs are spread across five separate clusters along the gorge’s stream bed and reflect multiple historical eras, including the Bronze Age, the Early Iron Age, and the Middle Ages.
Institute researcher Anatoly Shayakhmetov explained that the carvings accumulated gradually over centuries as different communities returned to the same location.
Among the most common images are goats, Bactrian camels, and hunting scenes — motifs widely associated with the pastoral cultures of Central Asia.
Researchers say the depictions likely carried both practical and symbolic meaning. Camels may have represented prosperity, trade, and long-distance travel, while goats reflected the importance of mountain herding economies. Hunting scenes may also have held ritual or magical significance, intended to ensure success in the hunt.
In addition to the rock art, archaeologists identified three burial complexes, named Burkhansay 1, 2, and 3, which are believed to date to the early Iron Age and the medieval period.
The discoveries suggest the gorge served multiple functions over thousands of years, acting as a burial ground, seasonal encampment, and travel corridor for nomadic communities moving across the region.
However, the most significant discovery was a short inscription written in ancient Turkic runic script, tentatively dated between the 4th and 10th centuries AD.
Leading researcher Boris Zheleznyakov described the inscription as a rare and important find because it was written using the Talas script, a regional variation of the ancient Turkic writing system used across Central Asia.
Although often referred to as “runic” because of its angular appearance, the script is unrelated to Scandinavian runes and developed independently within the Turkic-speaking world.
The best-known examples of ancient Turkic writing are the monumental Orkhon inscriptions of Mongolia, which commemorated rulers and major political events. By contrast, the newly discovered inscription from Burkhansay appears to preserve a far more personal message.
The five-character text was deciphered by ancient Turkic epigraphy specialist Vladimir Tishin and reads: “Er atim Aba,” meaning “My name is Aba.”
Unlike formal royal inscriptions, the short phrase contains no titles, dates, or religious references.
According to Zheleznyakov, the inscription may have functioned as a personal mark left by an individual claiming presence or ownership within the landscape.
“This demonstrates that writing was not limited to rulers and official monuments,” researchers noted. “It was also used by ordinary people travelling, herding, or living within these mountain regions.”
Archaeologists emphasise that the current count of petroglyphs remains preliminary, with documentation and classification work still ongoing.
The discoveries are expected to provide important new insights into the long-term cultural history of Central Asia and the lives of the nomadic societies that moved through the region over millennia.
Header Image Credit : A. Kh. Margulan Institute of Archaeology
Sources : JSC Qazcontent
