Reference library / Sample profile

A man buried in Kazakhstan in the Iron Age era

Explore the recorded context, genetic comparisons and research behind this reference sample.

KazakhstanLate Iron Age Kazakhstan

A reference profile describes this sample. It does not establish a personal or family relationship.

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AI-generated artistic reconstruction, not a photograph of the individual.

Record

Sample details

Recorded details and available lineage markers.

Individual

LIA individual, Kazakhstan

Sample ID: KNT003

Date Range

100 CE - 500 CE

Cultural Period

Late Iron Age Kazakhstan

Biological Sex

Male

mtDNA Haplogroup

W3a1

Y-DNA Haplogroup

J-Y234666

Social Role

Pastoralist (AI estimate, era-typical)

Geography

Location

Where this individual was discovered

Country Kazakhstan

Locality South Kazakhstan. Otrar. Konyrtobe Burial Ground. mound 1

Coordinates 41.4100, 68.8000

Chronology

Date range

When this individual lived in the broader context of human history

LIA individual, Kazakhstan 100 CE - 500 CE

Context

Historical context

Background information associated with the reference record.

Region & Environment

This period is associated with Kazakhstan’s open steppe and steppe-edge landscapes, where grasslands and seasonal water availability supported mobile herding. Travel routes through the steppe enabled long-distance interaction across Central Eurasia.

Historical Context

Around 500–100 BCE, Kazakhstan was embedded in a wider Saka–Scythian (Scythian-Saka) world in which steppe groups competed and cooperated across broad areas. Political realities were dynamic, and archaeological cultures are best understood as material and regional patterns rather than as exact boundaries for named peoples.

Populations & Lifeways

Lifeways likely emphasized pastoralism with mounted mobility, along with periodic settlement or resource-focused gathering where conditions allowed. Interaction with neighboring communities—through exchange and conflict—could influence craft production, status display, and access to prestige materials.

Archaeology & Material Culture

Late Iron Age archaeology in this setting commonly relies on cemeteries with grave goods, along with ceramics and metal objects. Portable artifact traditions—especially decorated metalwork and items linked to equestrian life—often show stylistic connections across the Eurasian steppe. Such assemblages help track changing fashions and contact networks over time.

Culture & Society

Steppe social organization is frequently inferred from burial investment and the diversity of grave goods. Hierarchies may be reflected in the elaboration of equestrian and personal items, while shared artifact conventions suggest participation in broader steppe cultural horizons.

Legacy & Transition

As the Late Iron Age progressed toward the early first century BCE, regional interaction patterns continued while political and economic conditions shifted. Archaeological change into subsequent periods is typically seen in evolving burial practices and artifact styles, reflecting new alliances and regional dynamics across the steppe corridor.

Analysis

Genetic comparisons

These comparisons show genetic similarity, not identity or origin. The populations listed are those whose genomes show statistical alignment to this ancient individual.

Similarity reflects shared history, not shared identity. These are analytical comparisons, not claims about who this person was.

Modern Genetic Admixture

This analysis compares the DNA profile with present-day reference populations, showing statistical similarity to modern reference populations from different regions. The excavation site records where this individual was found, not a fixed modern genetic identity.

Asia 64.4%

Northern West Asian 41.9%

Caucasian 39.7%

Anatolian 2.2%

Central Asian, Northern Indian & Pakistani 22.5%

Pakistan 20.5%

Indian 2.0%

Europe 32.7%

Northwestern European 17.0%

English 6.4%

Northwestern European 4.2%

Finnish 3.7%

Scandinavian 2.6%

Eastern European 15.7%

America 2.3%

Native American 2.3%

Africa 0.5%

African Hunter-Gatherer 0.5%

Closest Modern Populations

These are the modern populations showing the closest statistical alignment to A man buried in Kazakhstan in the Iron Age era, ranked by genetic distance. Lower distance values indicate closer statistical similarity. Cross-region similarity can reflect shared ancestry, population movement, continuity, or later admixture.

Tajik Yaghnobi

3.5969

Pamiri Rushan

3.7688

Pamiri Shugnan

4.3696

Tajik Tajikistan Kulob

4.7646

Pamiri Badakhshan

5.4443

Tajik Tajikistan Ayni

5.6286

Tajik Tajikistan Hisor

5.7278

Pamiri Ishkashim

6.0067

Lezgin

6.0814

Kumyk

6.5417