Gold of The Great Steppe

Tue 28 September 2021 - Sun 30 January 2022

Fitzwilliam Museum

Gold of The Great Steppe (28 September 2021 – 30 January 2022) will display an archaeological sensation, hundreds of outstanding gold artefacts recently discovered in the extraordinary ancient burial mounds built by the Saka people of East Kazakhstan.

The Saka culture of Central Asia flourished from at least the 8th-3rd centuries BCE, with earlier roots in East Kazakhstan. It was one of the earliest expressions of the Scythian culture that came to dominate the Eurasian steppe from the Black Sea to Siberia. Located in the Altai mountain system, the Saka of East Kazakhstan were a vibrant society who occupied a landscape of wide open skies, rolling plains and soaring mountains.

This exhibition will place archaeological finds discovered in the last three years by Kazakh archaeologists on a global stage for the first time, amplifying voices that often go unheard in museums in the west and giving UK audiences a unique opportunity to discover the rich cultural history of this part of the world.

Numerous spectacular artefacts were unearthed during the pandemic, and represent the resilience and determination of Kazakhstani archaeologists to protect and document their heritage, which is under threat from looting and degradation due to climate change.

More information: https://steppe-gold.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/

Cost: Free