In 2013, archeologists inspecting a burrow on the highway between Urzhar and Ayagoz made an astounding find. In the chamber of a stone sarcophagus, they uncovered the remains of a woman who lived in the 3rd or 4th century BC. The skeleton still held traces of blue and green fabric and was buried with a conical headdress of golden wire, an outfit that immediately inspired comparisons to the legendary "Golden Man," a Scythian warrior who was unearthed near Almaty in 1969. The archeologist deemed the woman “The Princess of Urzhar,” and she became the pride of the Tarbagatai.
At the roadside site where the princess was excavated, a monument now stands to mark the historic find. A dark granite cube has a plaque explaining the princess’ story in Kazakh, Russian and English, while a statue of the ancient dame stands above it.
