Archaeologists from the Ural Archaeological Expedition have uncovered a sacrificial complex during excavations at the Vysokaya Mogila–Studenikin Mar necropolis, located in Russia’s Orenburg Region.
The expedition identified a chain of five burial-mound groups stretching for nearly six kilometres along a single latitudinal axis.
Excavations of Mound 19 with the Vysokaya Mogila group revealed scattered iron bridle bits and parts of the bridle and collar – objects that hold deep symbolic, social, and practical importance in nomadic burials across the Eurasian steppe.
In the vicinity, excavations found a gold plaque depicting a tiger’s head and forepaw, as well as a shallow circular pit containing over 100 pieces of horse trappings.
According to the expedition archaeologists, the pit contents are considered one of the most important sacrificial assemblages documented in the early nomadic necropolises in the Southern Urals.
The assemblage includes iron bits, horn and metal cheekpieces, girth buckles, bronze and bone ornaments, and numerous browbands. Among the standout pieces are up to 17 bronze plate forehead protectors, 30 openwork plaques and a series of round decorative plaques depicting swastikas, birds and mythical creatures.
Many of the assemblage items are comparable to examples found in elite South Ural burials of the 4th–early 3rd centuries BC, while others show direct parallels with materials from the North Caucasus, Don region and Northern Black Sea, suggesting wide-ranging cultural links.
Unusual finds include bronze belt distributors shaped as human faces and a wooden ritual bowl with silver overlays. The presence of boar jaws and fragments of a ceramic vessel indicates ceremonial activity associated with post-funerary rites practiced by nomadic elites.
“Clearly, large burial mounds are not only burial structures but also cultic and ritual complexes with a system of sacrificial offerings, presupposing specific post-funeral rituals,” said the Ural Archaeological Expedition.
Header Image Credit : Ural Archaeological Expedition
Sources : Russian Academy of Sciences
