Where Humans First Tamed the Horse

In 1980, an archaeological expedition uncovered the remains of an ancient settlement near the village of Botai in northern Kazakhstan. Researchers unearthed dwellings, animal bones, and traces of everyday life of ancient people. The most remarkable discoveries were connected to horses. Their bones appeared in enormous numbers, leaving little doubt that horses were intentionally kept and bred here. Marks consistent with bridles were preserved on the bones, and residues of mare’s milk were identified in ceramic vessels. These findings led scholars to regard the settlement as the earliest known center of horse domestication. Scientists continue to debate the precise location where horses were first domesticated. More recent discoveries in the southern regions of Russia have revealed even older sites with evidence of human-horse relationships. Even so, the Botai settlement remains one of the earliest sites where people tamed horses. Archaeologists named the Botai culture after the nearby village. The Botai people lived approximately 3700-3100 BC – about a thousand years before the construction of the Great Pyramid of Giza and several centuries before the rise of Stonehenge.

Discovering Botai: From Excavation to Museum

Today, a small historical and cultural center stands at the excavation site. Reconstructed dwellings allow visitors to visualize everyday life in the Botai community. The inhabitants lived in semi-subterranean houses with circular foundations. Their frames were built from logs and poles, reinforced with clay and animal skins. Each dwelling had a conical roof and a central hearth. These structures are often viewed as an early, sedentary prototype of the steppe yurt. Inside the reconstructed homes, visitors can see replicas of household items alongside authentic artifacts recovered during excavations, including horse bones and pottery fragments. Reconstructions of Botai tools are also on display. Additional finds from the settlement are preserved in the museum in the nearby village of Saumalkol. Archaeological research continues at the site today. It also hosts scientific conferences, cultural festivals, and guided tours.

Two Botai Sites: Know the Difference

The Botai settlement in the North Kazakhstan Region should not be confused with the Botai-Burabai Museum in the Akmola Region. The former is an authentic archaeological site. The latter is a museum complex without an original ancient settlement, but it features a larger number of reconstructed Botai dwellings – seven in total. Visiting both locations offers the most complete picture of Botai culture.

How to Get There?

The Botai settlement is located near the modern village of Botai, approximately 34 km (21 mi) west of Saumalkol in the North Kazakhstan Region.

Other tourist attractions near the Botai Settlement:

• Aiganym Manor
• Museum of Shoqan Walikhanov in Syrymbet
• Karasai and Agyntai Batyr Memorial Complex
• Lake Shalkar