Dromos burials of the saka time in the Nazar site (Central Kazakhstan)

Abstract

In recent years, numerous new sites of Tasmola culture have been studied. New materials significantly supplement the existing ideas about the culture of the population of Central Kazakhstan of Saka era. The present article focuses on three monuments of the early Saka time studied by the author in the Nazar site in Central Kazakhstan. This kurgan with stone ridges Nazar and two other kurgans compose the burial ground Nazar-2. The monument is located in the Karaganda region, which is geographically an eastern part of the Kazakh hills. In addition to the studied objects on the coast of the river Nazar, there are three unexplored burial grounds of the Saka era. All structures of these burial grounds, including those which have not been excavated yet, can be combined by common external features. As a result of excavations graves with dromos oriented to the east were discovered in all three mounds. The diameters of the kurgans are 2023 m, their height is 1,51,7 m. A bronze arrowhead of the early Saka type was found in kurgan 1 of the burial ground Nazar-2. Such monuments, which are characterized by a large size and complex structure, belong to the early stage of Tasmola culture VIII-VI cc. BC. Three radiocarbon dates obtained on bone samples from mounds № 1 and № 2 of burial ground Nazar-2 in the laboratories of the Royal University of Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom and the University of Miami, USA do not contradict that. According to the author, such detail of the funeral rite as dromos oriented to the east, can be genetically traced back to the cultural traditions of the people of the late Bronze Age in Central Kazakhstan. Tasmola culture of Central Kazakhstan was opened in 1960. New materials largely complement the existing ideas about this culture.