Материалы по археологии и истории античного и средневекового Причерноморья, Iss 17, Pp 100-113 (2024)

northern saryarka, balykty, tasmola culture, early saka period, warriors kurgans, harness, animal style, interdisciplinary research, северная сарыарка, балыкты, тасмолинская культура, раннескаский период, воинское погребение, конская узда, звериный стиль, междисциплинарные исследования, Archaeology, CC1-960, History of Eastern Europe, DJK1-77

In 2022, scientific research was conducted on kurgan No. 1 at the Balykty burial site from the Early Iron Age (Kazakhstan, Akmola Region). The stone mound had a circular shape with a diameter of 4.5 meters and a height of 0.2 meters. There are traces of robbers from ancient times. 20 bronze items, one stone blade and one bone awl were found inside the barrow pit. The horse harness set was crafted in the “animal style.” Daggers, knives, arrowheads, grindstones, and bones were well-preserved. Based on the artifacts found, the site was classified as a “warrior” burial, typical of the Tasmola culture. Anthropological studies indicated the burial belonged to a male aged 45—50 years. Radiocarbon analysis, carried out by the Vilnius Radiocarbon Laboratory, dated the burial to the 8th—7th centuries BCE. The stone tool was made of sandstone. The material composition of the artifacts was analyzed, revealing that 90 percent of the metal was copper. A comparative analysis of the structures of other small burial sites in the region and the items found in them was conducted. Based on the analysis of materials and interdisciplinary research results, it was concluded that the kurgan is the burial site of a “warrior” from the Tasmola culture period.