Settlement of Botai. Kingdom of the Horse
It was on the territory of Kazakhstan, approximately 6-8 thousand years ago, that a horse was first saddled by man, which radically changed the course of history. 
The Botai settlement was discovered in 1980 by Viktor Seibert, a member of the North Kazakhstan archaeological expedition. The first excavations at the settlement yielded up to 40 thousand artifacts to Russian science. The uniqueness of the finds showed that archaeologists are faced with a fundamentally new archaeological culture. The settlement and archaeological culture received the name “Botai” after one of the leaders of the local Kazakh clans.
In the first years of studying the settlement, 7528 sq.m. were excavated. cultural layer.    
In the summer of 1983, an All-Union field archaeological seminar was held in Botai. 
In the 1990s, worldwide recognition of the discovery began. Professor Seibert was invited to Cambridge. Lectures at British universities, archaeological exhibitions, international symposiums, joint expeditions and materials research - the entire world scientific community learned about Botai culture. 
The full recognition of V. Seibert’s works was an article published in 2009 in the authoritative international scientific journal “Science”. The article clearly gave priority in the domestication of the horse to the Chalcolithic settlement of Botai. 
And, importantly, the authors of the article proved that the Botai people produced and consumed mare’s milk - kumiss. As it turns out, this is the oldest drink in the world. 
The archaeological monument of Botai is included in the state list of sacred monuments of Kazakhstan. Here you can see reconstructions of Stone Age huts and get acquainted with the tools and household items of ancient people. 
The State Historical and Cultural Museum-Reserve "Botai" is located in the North Kazakhstan region, 435 km from Astana.
North Kazakhstan region Aiyrtau district,
With. Saumalkol, st. B. Ashimova 15A 
+7 (71533) 2 18 80 – reception 
rgkp.botai_museum@mail.ru 
botaimuseum.kz