Arzhan
Encyclopedia
Arzhan is a site of early Scythian kurgan
burials, located in the Tuva Republic, Russia
, some 60 kilometres (37.3 mi) the north-west of Kyzyl
.
Arzhan is situated on a high plateau, traversed by the Uyuk River, a minor tributary of the Yenisei River
.
The excavations showed burials with rich grave goods including horses and gold artefacts. The total number of kurgans is several hundred, arranged in several parallel chains.
Arzhan-1 was excavated by M. P. Gryaznov in the 1970s, establishing the origins of Scythian culture in the region in the 9th to 8th centuries BCE.
Further excavations were conducted in 1997 and in 1998-2003 (Arzhan-2). Arzhan-2 turned out to be an undisturbed (unlooted) burial.
Kurgan
Kurgan is the Turkic term for a tumulus; mound of earth and stones raised over a grave or graves, originating with its use in Soviet archaeology, now widely used for tumuli in the context of Eastern European and Central Asian archaeology....
burials, located in the Tuva Republic, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, some 60 kilometres (37.3 mi) the north-west of Kyzyl
Kyzyl
-External links:*** in Kyzyl, Russia*...
.
Arzhan is situated on a high plateau, traversed by the Uyuk River, a minor tributary of the Yenisei River
Yenisei River
Yenisei , also written as Yenisey, is the largest river system flowing to the Arctic Ocean. It is the central of the three great Siberian rivers that flow into the Arctic Ocean...
.
The excavations showed burials with rich grave goods including horses and gold artefacts. The total number of kurgans is several hundred, arranged in several parallel chains.
Arzhan-1 was excavated by M. P. Gryaznov in the 1970s, establishing the origins of Scythian culture in the region in the 9th to 8th centuries BCE.
Further excavations were conducted in 1997 and in 1998-2003 (Arzhan-2). Arzhan-2 turned out to be an undisturbed (unlooted) burial.
Further reading
- Konstantin Čugunov, Hermann Parzinger, Anatoli Nagler: Der skythische Fürstengrabhügel von Aržan 2 in Tuva. Vorbericht der russisch-deutschen Ausgrabungen 2000-2002. In: Eurasia Antiqua 9 (2003), S. 113-162
- А. Д. Грач. "Древние кочевники в центре Азии." Москва 1980.
- M. P. Gryaznov: Der Großkurgan von Aržan in Tuva, Südsibirien. Materialien zur Allgemeinen und Vergleichenden Archäologie 23. München 1984
- А. М. Мандельштам. "Ранние кочевники скифского периода на территории Тувы." В М. Г. Мошкова, "Степная полоса азиатской части СССР в скифо-сарматское время". Археология СССР. Москва 1992