Ancient DNA unlocks new secrets of Kazakhstan's Golden Man and Scythian dynasties
Scientists have successfully sequenced the first genome-wide DNA of Kazakhstan's famed "Golden Man," confirming the iconic Iron Age figure was genetically male and uncovering new evidence that Scythian elites inherited their status through powerful family dynasties, Qazinform News Agency correspondent reports.
The findings come from an international team of researchers from the United States, Kazakhstan, Germany, Australia and South Korea. The study brought together scientists from the University of Texas at Austin, the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, the University of Tübingen, the University of Adelaide, Seoul National University, the Institute of Genetics and Physiology, the A.Kh. Margulan Institute of Archaeology, Al Farabi Kazakh National University, and the Issyk and Berel state historical and cultural museum reserves.
The research analyzed the genomes of 85 people buried across the Eurasian Steppe between 900 and 200 BCE, including the first genome-wide genetic data from the Golden Man, one of Kazakhstan's most celebrated archaeological discoveries.
Discovered in 1969 in the Issyk burial mound east of Almaty, the Golden Man was buried in an undisturbed chamber dating to around 400 to 300 BCE. The grave contained more than 4,000 gold ornaments, along with an iron sword and dagger, a bronze mirror, pottery, and silver, bronze, and wooden vessels, making it one of the richest Saka burials ever uncovered. Researchers note that a silver bowl found in the tomb bears a 26-character inscription that has yet to be deciphered.
Although archaeologists had long associated the Golden Man with the Iron Age Saka culture, questions remained about the individual's biological sex. Using ancient DNA, the researchers determined that the Golden Man was genetically male, resolving a long-standing debate. The analysis also showed that he falls within the genetic diversity of other Iron Age Saka populations, while carrying a slightly greater proportion of ancestry linked to ancient southern Central Asian populations.
The Golden Man's DNA formed part of a broader investigation into the origins of social hierarchy among Iron Age nomads. By comparing elite individuals buried in richly furnished kurgans with those buried in simpler graves, researchers found that high-status individuals were far more likely to be closely related to one another.
In one striking example, DNA analysis revealed that an elite man was the grandfather of two individuals buried in different cemeteries between 50 and 140 kilometers apart, suggesting that political power and social status were maintained within the same family over multiple generations.
The study also found evidence that some elite families entered into marriages between close relatives and had a smaller effective population size than the wider community, indicating that the ruling class remained relatively closed.
The researchers concluded that the genetic evidence supports the emergence of hereditary dynasties among Iron Age Scythian elites.
Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported on how modern DNA testing technologies can be useful in studying the history of Kazakhstan.
