Major Research Breakthrough: Genome of Kazakhstan's "Golden Man" Fully Sequenced

Kazakhstan International News Agency — Recently, scientists have successfully completed the full genome sequencing of Kazakhstan's "Golden Man" for the first time. The research results ultimately confirmed that this significant Iron Age archaeological discovery belonged to a male individual.

The study was conducted by an international collaborative team comprising researchers from the United States, Kazakhstan, Germany, Australia, and South Korea.

Institutions involved in this research include: The University of Texas at Austin, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, University of Tübingen, University of Adelaide, Seoul National University, Kazakh Institute of Genetics and Physiology, Margulan Archaeological Institute, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, as well as the Issyk and Birel National Historical and Cultural Museum-Reserve.

During the study, researchers analyzed the genomes of 85 individuals buried on the Eurasian steppes between 900 BCE and 200 BCE. Among them, the genome of the "Golden Man"—one of Kazakhstan’s most renowned archaeological discoveries—was sequenced in full for the first time.

The "Golden Man" was discovered in 1969 at the Issyk kurgan near Almaty. This kurgan dates back to the 4th–3rd centuries BCE and remained undisturbed by tomb robbers. The burial yielded over 4,000 artifacts, including gold ornaments, iron swords and daggers, bronze mirrors, pottery, and items made of silver, copper, and wood. Archaeologists assess it as one of the richest and highest-status tombs ever found from the Scythian (Sak) period. Notably, a silver bowl engraved with 26 characters remains a linguistic mystery to this day.

Although scholars previously knew the "Golden Man" belonged to the Scythian culture of the Iron Age, his gender had long been debated. This new ancient DNA analysis definitively identified him as male.

The findings show that the "Golden Man" shares genetic similarities with other Scythian groups from the same era. Moreover, his genome exhibits a notably high proportion of genetic ancestry from ancient populations of southern Central Asia.

This genomic analysis is part of a larger research project investigating how social hierarchies formed among nomadic peoples during the Iron Age. By comparing the DNA of elites buried in grand tombs with that of commoners from simpler graves, scientists concluded that members of the ruling class were closely related by blood.

A compelling piece of evidence from the genetic analysis indicates that one nobleman was a direct ancestor of two individuals buried in different kurgans located 50 to 140 kilometers apart. This suggests that power and high social status were passed down through generations within the same family.

The study also uncovered signs of consanguineous marriages within certain noble families. Furthermore, compared to the general population, the number of such elite individuals was significantly smaller, indicating a high degree of exclusivity within the ruling class at the time.

Researchers conclude that the genetic data strongly support the existence of hereditary family systems among the ruling elite of Iron Age Scythian society.

Original article: toutiao.com/article/1870618029661184/

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