DREAM (Discovering the (R)Evolution of EurAsian Metallurgy) is a UKRI-funded project led by Dr Miljana Radivojević at the UCL Institute of Archaeology. It explores how Bronze Age Steppe communities transformed the social and environmental landscape of Eurasia through the large-scale production and movement of metals between c. 3500 and 1000 BC.
Key mission statements:
We map the rise and spread of early metal-based economies across the Eurasian steppe network.
We integrate archaeology, earth sciences, environmental studies and AI-driven analysis to reconstruct production, exchange and impact.
We seek to redefine Eurasian connectedness by making large-scale datasets, spatial models and ecological footprints central to our narrative.
Archaeology Meets Climate Science on the Kazakh Steppe
An interdisciplinary team of archaeologists, climate scientists, and environmental specialists from Kazakhstan and the UK is working together to uncover how Bronze Age communities lived with—and shaped—the Eurasian steppe. By combining fieldwork, lake sediment coring, and archaeological analysis, the project reveals long-term interactions between people, climate, and landscape.
You can find the news article here.
And more details about this in our Latest Updates section with our blog post "Reading the Steppe"
Semiyarka Featured in Current World Archaeology (CWA)
Our research at the Bronze Age site of Semiyarka has been highlighted in Current World Archaeology, bringing international attention to this unique steppe settlement and its significance for understanding urbanism and metallurgy in Bronze Age Eurasia. The article draws on findings published in Antiquity and reflects the growing impact of the Semiyarka project beyond the academic community.
You can find the full CWA article here.
On Monday, 19 January 2026 UCL Institute of Archaeology hosted the visit of the D. Serikbayev East Kazakhstan Technical University Delegation. You can read the report in our Latest Updates section, under the 'Kazakhstan Delegation visit' page.
We are very excited to share that our Semiyarka discovery has been honoured with an award from CCTV (China Central Television). A wonderful moment for the teams involved and for international archaeological collaboration! If you wish to know more, go to our site's Latest Updates section "CCTV Award".
非常激动地宣布，我们在塞米亚卡遗址的考古发现荣获了中央电视台（CCTV）颁发的奖项。这对于参与考古发掘的团队以及国际考古合作而言，都是一个激动人心的时刻！欲了解更多信息，请访问我们网站的“最新动态”版块，查看“中央电视台奖项”部分。
We are new featured in New Scientist!
Check out the new article by Chris Simms published in New Scientist at this link. You can also find a related blog in our Latest Updates section at the Rethinking the Eurasian Steppe page!
We have been keeping busy!
Check out our new blog article published in Antiquity at this link, which you can also find in our Latest Updates section at the Forging a Bronze Age City page!
Our collaborative, Open Access article on Semiyarka was published in Antiquity Journal on 18 November 2025 and picked up by major media outlets and academic pages. We are grateful to have worked alongside our wonderful colleagues at Durham University in the UK and Toraighyrov University in Kazakhstan!
Fieldwork at the Andronovo Culture Kurgan, situated on the steppe terrace above the Irtysh River's branch near Semey, Kazakhstan
For the mobile version of this experience, click here.
