The long-standing debate over the identity of the Golden Man has been
settled. Scientists have, for the first time, decoded his genome, confirming
that the remains discovered in the Issyk burial mound in 1969 belonged to a
man. DNA analysis also revealed that the renowned warrior was a member of the
hereditary elite of Iron Age Saka society. The study was conducted by an
international team of scientists from Kazakhstan, the United States, Germany,
Australia and South Korea. The researchers analysed the genetic material of 85
individuals who lived across the Eurasian Steppe between the 9th and 3rd
centuries BC. The findings not only clarified the Golden Man’s ancestry but
also revealed kinship ties among individuals buried in different burial mounds.
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