SCYTHIAN‑SAKA MATERIALS FROM THE NORTHERN FOOTHILLS OF ALTAI (BASED ON THE ULYANOVKA‑3 CEMETERY)
Abstract
This article analyzes the burial rite and grave goods from the Ulyanovka-3 archaeological site, representing a settlement and a burial ground. The site dates to the Early Iron Age and is located in the northern foothills of the Altai Mountains. The obtained radiocarbon dates reveal a wide chronological range — the earliest burial is dated to the 8th-6th centuries BC, another burial to the 6th-5th centuries BC, and the latest grave is dated to the 4th-3rd centuries BC. This indicates several episodes of use ofthe necropolis during the Scythian- Saka period. Isotope analysis data also revealed significant variability between the burials. Individuals with high and low millet consumption have been identified. A common feature of all the buried was the absence of fish in their diet. The burial ritual and grave goods identifiedin the site suggest that it belongs to the Northern Altai variant of the Pazyryk Culture, with the closest similarities found in the Lower Katun valley. The materials from the Ulyanovka-3 necropolis reflect the high level of integration between different communities in the northern Altai foothills during the Early Iron Age.
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References
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