Archaeologists in Kazakhstan’s Karaganda region have uncovered a rare burial mound containing remains from two distinct historical periods, shedding new light on the region’s deep and layered past.

The discovery was made at the Kulaygyr 1 burial site near Kulaygyr village in the Abai district during ongoing archaeological excavations. According to local officials, the mound measures about 10 meters in diameter and stands roughly 40 centimeters high, The Caspian Post reports via Kazinform.

Researchers found a stone ring structure made of slabs arranged in several rows, enclosing a central burial. The individual was laid on their back in a northwest-southeast orientation. Among the artifacts recovered were a bronze mirror, belt fittings, and skeletal remains, attributed to the Tasmalin culture of the Early Iron Age.

However, the most striking finding came beneath this layer. Archaeologists discovered an older burial belonging to the Nurin culture, dating back to the 18th-16th centuries BCE. This earlier interment was constructed as a stone cist with a north-south orientation. It contained cremated remains placed in the southern part of the chamber, along with ceramic vessels decorated with geometric patterns, a bronze plaque, and ornamental pottery fragments.

Experts say the presence of two culturally and chronologically distinct burials within a single mound highlights a long tradition of reuse of sacred sites in Central Kazakhstan.

Tulkybay Tuleuov, head of the Center for Preservation of Historical and Cultural Heritage of the Karaganda region, noted that the findings reflect burial practices spanning many centuries within the same location.

Fieldwork at the site has now been completed, and all recovered artifacts will undergo laboratory analysis, which researchers hope will provide deeper insights into ancient funerary traditions and everyday life in the region.