Overview
- Researchers mapped rectilinear earthworks, rows of enclosed multi-room household compounds, and a central monumental building that suggest urban-style planning.
- Crucibles, slag, ores, and bronze artifacts delineate an industrial zone dedicated to copper and tin‑bronze manufacture on the steppe.
- Compositional analyses indicate the tin corresponds to deposits in the Altai mountains roughly 300 kilometers away, pointing to long-distance material connections.
- The settlement sits on a promontory over the Irtysh River, supporting interpretations of a production hub that also functioned as a center of exchange and regional power.
- Pottery typology places the site around 1600 BC, and the team plans further excavations to refine the chronology, assess population, and clarify the role of the central building.