Archaeologists have discovered Neolithic burials beneath the floors of ancient dwellings in the Kostanay region, dating back approximately 7,000 to 9,000 years, according to infohub.kz.
As reported by Channel 7, during excavations in the Auliekol district, researchers from Kostanay Regional University (KRU) found three graves containing the remains of two adults and a child. Preliminary data suggests they date from the 7th to 5th millennia BC.
Scientists call this one of the most significant discoveries for studying the Stone Age in Kazakhstan, as such finds are extremely rare not only for this region but for the entire country. Typically, excavations yield tools, ceramics, or ornaments, but burials are seldom encountered.
“We are confident this is the Neolithic era because there are no disturbances around, as often happens with later periods, when, for example, the Bronze Age people dig and disrupt the layers. In this case, there are no disturbances. Only Neolithic artifacts are present. And the appearance of these buried individuals is quite ancient, I would say. You can see they are thousands of years old,” said Irina Shevnina, senior researcher at the KRU archaeological laboratory.
The discovery is particularly valuable because the burials were found inside dwellings of the Mahandzhar culture. Researchers have studied such semi-dugouts here for the first time. According to experts, this confirms the existence of an ancient tradition of burying loved ones directly beneath the house floor.