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The incense burner found in the tomb contains sun-shaped faces that match ancient rock art previously discovered in Siberia. Photo: IIMK RAS
The leader of the expedition, Dr. Andrey Polyakov, said that the tomb of the “noble woman” dates back to the early Bronze Age, between the 25th and 18th centuries BC.
“For such an ancient time, this woman has many objects in her grave,” he said. “We have not found anything like it in other burials from this period, and this leads us to suggest that the objects in her tomb had ritual significance.
“We hope to have even more rare and spectacular finds next year when we continue to study this unique (burial) mound and open up the central burial plot.”
One hundred decorations made from the teeth of different animals mark the special status of women. Photo: IIMK RAS
Archaeologists believe that the woman “enjoyed a special status during her life”, as indicated by a hundred decorations made with the teeth of different animals, objects carved in bone and horn, two jars, cases with bone needles inside, a bronze knife, etc. more than 1,500 pearls that adorned his funeral outfit.
The incense burner is particularly exciting because it contains sun-shaped faces that match ancient rock art previously discovered in Siberia. The clay censer with three sun-shaped facial images recovered from the tomb is the most significant find of all,” she said.
“Its importance is difficult to overestimate. All of these previously discovered images had only been found on cliffs or separate stones. Now there is the possibility of knowing when they were made.
The stone ceilings of some tombs on a burial hill at Itkol II also have chiseled images, known as Okunev faces. Photo: IIMK RAS
He clarified: “Now, thanks to our current research, we can say with certainty that these rock arts were created by the representatives of the Okunev culture.” After precise dating and restoration, the incense burner will go on display at the famous Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, he said.
The place where the finds were made is known as the burial place of Itkol II, in the Shira district of Khakassia. Excavations here began in 2008, with some 560 finds in total so far, but there is a feeling that the best is yet to come.
Another find is a stone slab with a rare image of a bull with a long rectangular body. These are not common in southern Siberia, but are known from the territory of present-day Kazakhstan. Archaeologists see this as an indication that the Okunev people may have migrated to Khakassia from the south.
Excavations here began in 2008, with some 560 finds in total so far, but there is a feeling that the best is yet to come. Photo: IIMK RAS
Does this mean that today’s Native Americans originated from Kazakhstan and not southern Siberia as previously thought? We await more scientific evidence.
The stone ceilings of some tombs on a burial hill at Itkol II also have chiseled images, known as Okunev faces. Archaeologists believe that these are not the faces of real people, but images of spirits, gods and other supernatural deities. One of the faces belongs to a type never seen before, although the details of this find have not been made public so far.
The culture is named after the town of Okunev in southern Khakassia, where the first burial site of its kind was excavated in 1928. The Okunev stelae, anthropomorphic stone columns several meters high, are the best-known monument. attributed to this culture.
The upper part of these stelae is shaped like a bird’s beak. The central part is decorated with images of one or more anthropomorphic creatures, while the lower part resembles the open mouth of a snake.
The Okunev Stelae – anthropomorphic stone columns several meters high – are the best-known monument attributed to this culture. Photos: Boris Dolinin, Elena Sibiryakova
Experts see this as evidence of sophistication in the beliefs of these ancient peoples. They argued that the world around them is made up of three main elements.
Dr. Polyakov said: “The archaeological Okunev culture is a unique phenomenon of the Early Bronze Age of southern Siberia. We have a huge amount of artistic heritage in the form of many images – “masks”, carved or engraved on the rocks. They have a particular style, which is a kind of symbol of the Okunev culture.
So far, experts “have not been able to prove the direct connection between the rock art and the Okunev cemeteries.” That has now changed.
* TWO YEARS AGO, Siberian fisherman Nikolay Tarasov, then 53, was fishing for carp.
At the site he pulled a 4,000-year-old ‘unique and amazing’ pagan god from the water Statuette carved from horn and then fossilized. The figure had almond-shaped eyes, a large mouth with full lips, and a fierce facial expression. The find was thought to belong to the Okunev culture.
We have a huge amount of artistic heritage in the form of many images – “masks”, carved or engraved on the rocks. They have a particular style, which is a kind of symbol of the Okunev culture. Photos: Boris Dolinin
Pictured above: Safe from looting by grave robbers, the woman’s burial site, which also contains the remains of a child, offers a wealth of clues into the lives of these ancient peoples. Photo: IIMK RAS
The article ‘Found: Grave of a Siberian noblewoman less than 4,500 years old, with Native American connections’ originally appeared on The Siberian Era and has been republished with permission.