Reccared I
Junior Member
This fall archaeologists have researched the third burial mound near the Totskoye village, Orenburg region. The first three burial mounds are dated to the 5th-4th centuries BC. A mass grave of 11 people – men, women and children – was discovered there. All bodies were cremated.
A variety of grave goods was found in the burial, some of which are quite rare – five bone staff finials decorated with animals (griffin, argali, lion, tiger, etc.), and a small glass vessel of Achaemenid origin. The bone finials are of local origins, while the vessel is clearly imported. It could have been used as a storage for eye paint or fragrance oil.
Unfortunately, other two burial mounds have been plundered in antiquity.
Such amount of staffs, which are high status items, indicates that this wasn’t a simple family’s burial. Probably a warchief was buried here. Archaeologists are currently testing this hypothesis. Also, the genetic studies will probably be conducted to confirm the family ties of the deceased.
All the finds were transferred to the Museum of Archaeology of the Orenburg Sate Pedagogical University. The archaeological site “Totskoye village burial mound # 3” was surveyed for the purposes of security and preservation excavations. Archaeological works were approved by the regional inspection in course of the state program for protection of cultural heritage.
Source: RIA (Russian news agency)
English translation & adaptation: RAN Paleoethnological Research Center.
A variety of grave goods was found in the burial, some of which are quite rare – five bone staff finials decorated with animals (griffin, argali, lion, tiger, etc.), and a small glass vessel of Achaemenid origin. The bone finials are of local origins, while the vessel is clearly imported. It could have been used as a storage for eye paint or fragrance oil.
Unfortunately, other two burial mounds have been plundered in antiquity.
Such amount of staffs, which are high status items, indicates that this wasn’t a simple family’s burial. Probably a warchief was buried here. Archaeologists are currently testing this hypothesis. Also, the genetic studies will probably be conducted to confirm the family ties of the deceased.
All the finds were transferred to the Museum of Archaeology of the Orenburg Sate Pedagogical University. The archaeological site “Totskoye village burial mound # 3” was surveyed for the purposes of security and preservation excavations. Archaeological works were approved by the regional inspection in course of the state program for protection of cultural heritage.
Source: RIA (Russian news agency)
English translation & adaptation: RAN Paleoethnological Research Center.