The secret of the Altynkazgan stone slabs, discovered in 2010 in Kazakhstan on the Mangyshlak peninsula, has finally been revealed. The huge structures resembling British Stonehenge were originally stumbled by a local resident named Akhmadullin, who was exploring the eastern coast of the Caspian Sea with a metal detector.
Opening of the stone complex
The huge ancient structure covers an area of 120 hectares, which is equivalent to 200 football fields. A resident of the Caspian coast, exploring the surrounding area, first came across a piece of an ancient silver saddle and some other artifacts hidden inside the bizarre stone slabs. These findings immediately became the subject of detailed study by Andrey Astafiev, an employee of the Mangistau State Historical and Cultural Reserve.
The area required archaeological research
When Andrey Astafyev and his colleague-archaeologist Yevgeny Bogdanov from the Siberian branch of the Institute of Archeology and Ethnography of the Russian Academy of Sciences arrived at the area indicated by the Kazakh resident, they realized that it required careful study. Unfortunately, the excavation had to be postponed due to the difficult socio-economic situation in the region. The specialists waited four years before getting the go-ahead from the local authorities. Up to this point, scientists have made only a visual inspection.
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Monumental structure
When archaeologists started a detailed study of the area, they discovered a whole complex of structures consisting of "stone slabs inserted vertically into the ground." It was not at all what they expected to see here initially. The stone complex was so imposing that its individual elements were 34 x 24 meters. True, there were also "small" slabs measuring 4 x 4 meters. Among them were carvings, some of the slabs retained a perfectly flat surface. The design of the building is reminiscent of the architecture of the times of the collapse of the Roman Empire. There was only one unsolved secret: what was this monumental structure?
A bit of history
As our experts believe, the stone structure, which strongly resembles Stonehenge, only in increased size, was created by the hands of nomads about 1500 years ago. At this time, the Huns plundered all over Europe and Asia. Archaeologists Astafyev and Bogdanov suggest that the saddle could have belonged to the leader of the nomads. This is indicated by the engraving on the surface of the object. The artifact can be safely classified as a work of art. In addition to fancy engraving, it features leather inserts with silver plates.
Ritual character
The fact that the saddle was left under one of the stone slabs indicates the ritual nature of the structure. This is confirmed by the skeleton found under the stones. However, the area on which the ancient sanctuary was erected still remains a mystery to historians, who claim that the site was erected away from all known Hunnic routes. There is no doubt that the Altynkazgan complex requires further detailed study.
Inga Kaisina