Archaeology, Ethnology & Anthropology of Eurasia 37 (2) 2009

Annotation:  Evolution of the Quaternary Environment in the Northwestern Altai Kostenki-4: The Position of Artifacts in Space and Time (the Analysis of the Cultural Layer) Stratigraphic Data on Middle Paleolithic Sites in the Upper Desna Basin Human-made Bedrock Holes (Mortars and Cupmarks) as a Late Natufi an Social Phenomenon Tsaram: A Burial Ground of the Hsiung-nu Elite in Transbaikalia Species Attribution of Hair of the Pazyryk Fur Coat from the Olon-Kurin-Gol-10 Burial Ground, Mongo Shaitanskoye Ozero II: New Aspects of the Uralian Bronze Age Yankovsky Economics: Animal Bones from 1st Millennium BC Settlements in Primorye, Russian Far East “Technical Decoration” of the Tripolye Ceramics On the Interpretation of Central Asian and South Siberian Rock Art Forms of Nomadism and Livestock Management of the Eastern Sayan Buryats in the Late 19th and Early Harvesting of Siberian Pine Nuts in Mountain Shoria: Traditions and Nowadays The Ethnic History of Medieval Novgorod (Based on Craniometric Data) Seliungur Teeth Revisited L.K. Gudkova.   

Tsaram: A Burial Ground of the Hsiung-nu Elite in Transbaikalia

S.S. Minyaev.

From 1998–2005, the Transbaikal Archaeological Expedition from the St. Petersburg Institute for the History of Material Culture excavated a burial ground of the Asian Hun (Hsiung-nu) elite at Tsaram, Kyakhta Region, Buryatia. The complex included a central mound (the largest in Russia and one of the largest worldwide) and ten accompanying burials with human sacrifi ces. An account of the excavations of the central mound is provided, including the layout of the mound and the inner funerary construction. Burial goods found in the outer and inner corridors of the burial chamber are described with detailed illustrations.

Keywords: Archaeology, Huns, Hsiung-nu, Central Asia, elite burials, Transbaikalia, Tsaram.