Religious scholars from Altai State University explored the unique burials of the Scythian-Saka era in Altai

In July 2023, students of the areas of Religious and Regional Studies of Russia, as well as teachers of the Department of Regional Studies of Russia, National and State-Confessional Relations of the Institute of Humanities of Altai State University, took part in the Summer Ethnocultural School of Altai-2023. In addition, students from other cities of Russia and China took part in the expedition.

The summer school was held as part of the Krasnoshchekovskaya archaeological expedition led by Doctor of Historical Sciences, Professor, Head of the Department Petr Dashkovsky. Krasnoshchekovskaya archaeological expedition of Altai State University since 2001 has been studying the monuments of the Chinetinsky archaeological microdistrict, located in the vicinity of the village of Chineta, Krasnoshchekovsky district, Altai Krai. This is the longest expedition of the university in the history of continuous archaeological research in one microdistrict in Altai.

“During the twenty-three years of the expedition, more than 100 objects were excavated at the burial grounds Khankharinskiy Dol, Chineta-II, Inskoy Dol, which belong to various historical periods from the Eneolithic to the Middle Ages. This field season proved very successful. We investigated five mounds at the Chineta-II and Khankharin Dol burial grounds, which date back to the Scythian-Saka era. At the same time, it is worth noting the burial of a warrior, which belongs to the late stage of the Pazyryk culture and dates back to the 3rd century BC. The uniqueness of the burial of a male warrior lies in the fact that real military weapons were placed with him as an accompanying inventory – an iron dagger, a combat pick (battle ax), as well as belt plates made of horn, decorated with a drop-shaped carved ornament. These are very significant finds, since the Pazyryk nomads usually had the practice of placing miniature things, i.e. reduced copies. This was due to the fact that they used metal sparingly, and from the point of view of mythological thinking, it was enough to place a symbol of an object that, according to the beliefs of nomads, would successfully perform the function of a real dagger, coinage or any other object in the afterlife. The social status of the warrior buried in this mound was also emphasized by the accompanying burial of a horse, with which some items of equipment were placed – a bit, girth and saddle buckles. In addition to the burial of a warrior, we explored the burial mounds in which women were buried. At the same time, a woman with a fairly high social status was buried in one burial. This is evidenced by the finds of such items as a headdress, a hryvnia, and a mirror. In addition, an accompanying burial of a horse was also found in this mound, which was an important social indicator in the cultures of the ancient nomads of Central Asia,” said Petr Dashkovsky.

A feature of the Chinetinsky archaeological microdistrict is that within its boundaries it was possible to unearth monuments of various archaeological cultures: Afanasievo, Pazyryk, Turkic, Srostka, Kyrgyz. The excavated burial mounds date from the 3rd millennium BC and before the beginning of the II millennium BC, i.e. in fact, for more than 4 thousand years. This is due to the fact that a kind of historical corridor passed in this part of the North-Western Altai, so most of the peoples of Central Asia left traces of their stay here. There are also monuments of the primitive era within this microdistrict – the so-called Verkhnechinetisky cave complex, which belongs to the Upper Paleolithic period. The expedition of religious scholars from AltSU explores mainly funeral and memorial monuments of the nomadic peoples of Central Asia of the late antiquity and early Middle Ages.

“For many years, hundreds of schoolchildren and students from various educational institutions of Altai Krai, as well as researchers from various scientific centers in Russia, China, Kazakhstan, and France have taken part in the expedition. In the process of participating in the summer ethno-cultural school of Altai, students of religious and regional studies of Russia got acquainted with the ancient and medieval history of the region, the features of the material, rituals, beliefs of nomads, the methodology of ethno-archaeological work, the basics of field documentation, ethno-cultural and ethno-confessional processes on the territory of Southern Siberia. In addition to the research part, the expedition is always communication, an opportunity to test yourself and your friends. After work, the guys were involved in various forms of recreation – from playing volleyball to playing the guitar or intellectual games," Piotr Dashkovsky emphasized.

Archaeological research of ancient and medieval monuments of the peoples of Central Asia at the Chinetinsky archaeological microdistrict will continue in 2024, which means that students of religious and regional studies of Russia will once again have the opportunity to practice, touch the knowledge of ancient history and religions, visit unique historical and natural places and simply have a great time.