Mysterious 1,500-years-old Massive Stone Monument Discovered In Kazakhstan

On November 2016, a massive, 1,500-year-old stone complex that may have been built by nomad tribes has been discovered near the eastern shore of the Caspian Sea in Kazakhstan. Researchers from the Mangistaus State Historical and Cultural Reserve in Kazakhstan and the Russian Academy of Sciences are still trying to figure out who made this wonderfully huge structure, and so far it’s proven quite difficult. Details of who built the massive structure and what it might have been used for remains a mystery, but there are some clues. After finally getting the funds to study the site four years after it was found, the team discovered that the stone structure stretched for much further than they originally thought, and they were able to find more pieces of the silver saddle. But who made them and what was their purpose?

The team isn’t sure yet, but they do have some ideas. Based on markings found on the silver saddle, they suggest that the stones were likely constructed by a nomadic tribe around the time that the Roman Empire was falling and the principal nomadic culture in the region during the time when it was constructed were the Huns. Whether the Huns were, in fact, the ones that constructed it is an open question at this point, but they are certainly the primary suspects.

The series of stone slabs covers an area of around 300 acres, which is roughly equivalent to 200 American football fields. Stones range from 13 feet tall to 79 feet tall, and many of them are elaborately decorated with carvings of weapons or creatures.

"When the area was examined in detail, several types of stone structures were identified," archaeologists Andrey Astafiev, of the Mangistaus State Historical and Cultural Reserve; and Evgeniï Bogdanov, of the Russian Academy of Sciences Siberian Department's Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography, wrote in the journal article. The smallest stone structures are only 13 feet by 13 feet (4 by 4 meters), and the biggest are 112 feet by 79 feet (34 by 24 m).

The structures are "made of stone slabs inserted vertically into the ground," the archaeologists wrote. Some of the stones, which look a little like those at Stonehenge, have carvings of weapons and creatures etched into them.

One of the most spectacular finds is the remains of a saddle made partly of silver and covered with images of wild boars, deer and "beasts of prey" that may be lions, Astafiev and Bogdanov wrote in their article. The images were etched in relief, sticking out from the silver background.

Sources:

https://www.mnn.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/stories/mysterious-stone-monument-found-kazakhstan-way-bigger-stonehenge

https://www.livescience.com/56855-ancient-stone-monuments-discovered-along-caspian.html

https://www.sciencealert.com/a-massive-1-500-year-old-stone-monument-has-been-unearthed-in-kazakhstan

Pic Source:

https://www.livescience.com/56855-ancient-stone-monuments-discovered-along-caspian.html