0
Visitors view exhibits at the National Museum of the Republic of Kazakhstan in Astana, Kazakhstan. The image is unrelated to the content of the article. / Xinhua, Yonhap

A large architectural ruin of the medieval nomadic state known as the Golden Horde (Golden Orda) has been newly discovered in northern Kazakhstan. Following the discovery of a noblewoman's ceremonial robe from the same era in May, which was transferred to the National Museum, this consecutive excavation of sites and artifacts is adding momentum to the nation's history restoration project.

According to the Kazakh state news agency Kazinform on July 1, a research team from Margulan University recently confirmed evidence of a Golden Horde structure during excavations in the Zhantai region of North Kazakhstan.

The researchers identified the foundational structure of the building through surveys and trial excavations using Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) and Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR). At the site, numerous fired bricks measuring 25 cm by 25 cm were unearthed.

The team explained that these bricks match the so-called "Golden Horde standard dimensions" used in major architecture of the time, such as palaces, mosques, and mausoleums. The local academic community views this discovery as a crucial clue proving the existence of a city and religious facilities during that period, and plans to continue with further excavations.

The Golden Horde was a nomadic state formed in the 13th century by the lineage of Jochi, the eldest son of Genghis Khan, and it ruled the Eurasian steppes, including present-day Kazakhstan, for centuries.

In Kazakhstan, the Golden Horde is recognized not merely as a branch of the Mongol Empire, but as a critical historical foundation that directly connects to modern Kazakhstan and its ethnogenesis.

While it is commonly referred to in South Korea as the Kipchak Khanate (Golden Horde), an increasing number of studies are adopting the local term "Jochi Ulus."

The reason this excavation is drawing such attention aligns with this historical perspective. Because the ancestors of Kazakhs were nomads who moved across the steppes during the Middle Ages, records of large-scale cities, palaces, or literature are relatively scarce compared to those of settled peoples.

Furthermore, following the periods of the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union, independent history research centered on their own nation was not sufficiently conducted, and with some cultural heritage and religious sites destroyed, accumulating historical data faced clear limitations.

Since gaining independence following the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, Kazakhstan has been expanding state-level research to recover lost historical records.

The country is actively pushing forward projects to shed new light on its historical lineage—tracing from the Saka (Scythian) civilization through the Turkic Khaganate, Kipchaks, Jochi Ulus, and the Kazakh Khanate—while vigorously supporting the excavation of major ruins, restoration of cultural assets, and academic research.

The recently found artifact was unearthed during the excavation of the Bolgan Ana mausoleum and was unveiled as a key exhibit at the international symposium "The Golden Horde: A Model of Steppe Civilization" held in Astana, garnering significant interest from both domestic and international researchers.

                                                                                                             Kim Min-kyu