The Kazakhs are proud horsemen, and horsewomen; this indeed is a distinguishing feature of this community and ethnicity. Being a humongous landlocked nation, they have historically used the land for all means of transportation, and what better way to do this than on horseback?
So, right from the age of infancy, both men and women are schooled into equestrian life. For an outsider, it is amazing to witness young boys and girls dashing around on impressive stallions as if it were the most natural thing in the world to do!
One of the most intriguing items on display at the Almaty Ethnography Museum is the story of the “Golden Man”—the first complete skeleton of a Kazakh horseman was found almost intact in a shallow grave under a mound over the vast steppe of the region.
The considerable excitement generated from this find led to other sites being excavated to reveal similarly well-preserved specimens of both men AND women who rode these vast plains on horseback, herding their sheep or cattle, or to fight—and win—wars. Pottery and weaponry on display are also testament to the impressive legacy of these people.
