In the Altai Mountains people have lived since time immemorial. They seemed to be attracted by these incredibly beautiful places with a special energy. Until now, local residents say that the Altai land does not accept every person. Indeed, the most hidden character traits are manifested here, and in some places of power a traveler can even see firsthand, as in a mirror, a reflection of his own fears and illusions. Not everyone succeeds in forgetting what has been experienced, so many tourist routes are inaccessible to ordinary people. Even the locals for no money will lead you to some places for which the glory of bad lands stretches. This category includes numerous ancient burials, which are of great interest to historians and archaeologists. The fact is that many of the mounds and burial grounds have been preserved in very good condition and can give the world a huge number of unique exhibits. One of the most mysterious burial grounds of Altai is the Pazyryk mounds. Scientists became interested in them back in Soviet times and until now, finds excavated from underground by archaeologists are considered unique and are investigated by various experts. Today we will tell you in detail about the Pazyryk mounds, their location and how you can get to these amazing historical monuments of ancient culture.
Brief information about burial grounds
Scientists and local residents claim that the Pazyryk mounds are burials of ancient tribes of the Scythian period. Historians date burial grounds around the fourth to fifth centuries BC. It was during this period that Altai Mountains was inhabited by a large number of nomadic tribes, whose cultural traditions are still a mystery to specialists, despite the abundance of excavated burial grounds.
Unfortunately, not all finds from the Pazyryk mounds have survived to our times. The Hermitage today houses the most valuable exhibits brought from Siberia, but many of them were lost due to inadequate storage during excavations, which was helped by wild animals and local residents. The purpose and skillful execution of some objects amazed archaeologists and historians so much that they even introduced such a special term as “Pazyryk culture,” about which very little is known.
The Pazyryk mounds are five embankments located near the village of Balyktuyul in the Pazyryk tract. The settlement is separated from the burial grounds by about four and a half kilometers, so local residents are often forced to pass and pass by ancient burials. This path does not give them any pleasure, moreover, it involves a number of anomalous phenomena, the description of which we will devote to one of the sections of the article. It is noteworthy that around the village there are a lot of ancient cultural monuments, which over time turned into attractions of the tract. In addition to the mounds, the Aragol irrigation system is of great interest to tourists and scientists.
We think that even from such a brief description you could understand that the place that we are going to tell you about today is truly unusual and has incredibly strong energy.
Features of the mounds
Photos of the Pazyryk mounds, which can be found on the Internet, immediately show that these burials are extremely interesting. Almost all of them are located in pairs in the north of the tract. The fourth burial ground is an exception, it stands apart from all groups and is located at a fairly large distance from them.
It is interesting that in the translation from the Tuvan language the name of the tract means "mound", therefore the phrase "Pazyryk mounds" is a tautology.
Four years ago, burial grounds were given over to the jurisdiction of the museum reserve. The Ak Cholupsha Natural Park occupies vast territories, which include settlements and historical monuments, many of which have no similarity anywhere else in the world.
For a long time, a project was being developed to build a museum directly near the mounds. But all the time, serious obstacles arose in the path of enthusiasts, so it was decided to open a museum in the regional center. The main reason for the abandonment of the initial project was the lack of water at the burial grounds and the large distance to large settlements. It is easy to guess that the museum staff could not agree to work and live where they once found their repose to know the Pazyryk culture.
Burial studies
Excavations of the Pazyryk mounds began in the twenty-ninth year of the last century. Literally after the first days of work, the burial site was called "royal", because the number of items found simply astounded archaeologists. Despite the fact that the local population was categorically against the excavations and considered this a sacrilege, research continued for twenty years.
In the process of work, household items, jewelry, vehicles, mummified bodies of horses and people were extracted. It is noteworthy that the mummies were in such good condition that the ritual drawings applied during their lifetime perfectly showed on them. Scientists managed to sketch almost all unique tattoos. In the Pazyryk mounds were discovered items brought from Persia, as well as jewelry from small shells that cannot be found in the territory of Altai.
Interestingly, all five mounds were sacked before the start of scientific work, but archaeologists were lucky. The permafrost layer hid a huge number of unique items from the marauders, which, after the inventory, were immediately sent to the Hermitage.
Pazyryk mounds are also known for the fact that horse burials were found in them, which have been preserved in excellent condition. On some of them, scientists found leather masks with horns and harness elements. Unfortunately, many mummified animal bodies were eaten by wild animals after being removed from the burial ground intact.
The appearance of the mounds
At the very beginning of the research work on the Pazyryk barrows, scientists were struck by the fact that the ancient tribes thoroughly approached the burial of their relatives.
Also, archaeologists could not fail to note the truly gigantic dimensions of the burial grounds. The diameter of the embankments made of large stones ranges from twenty to fifty meters. Over the surface of the earth, burial grounds rise on average by five meters, there are mounds and lower ones - up to two meters. The burial ground itself goes underground for seven meters, while the burial chamber in some cases reaches fifty square meters. It is hard to imagine how such monumental structures were erected in those distant times.
It is not known whether unique objects from these cemeteries would have reached our times, if not for the thieves. Having opened the mound, they launched processes that led to the formation of vast strata of permafrost. Thanks to this, scientists were even able to prove that the geometric ornaments in the objects of the Pazyryk mounds are very similar to the patterns found on the Ukok plateau. Some experts believe that they were made by the same master, despite the fact that the mounds are separated by a distance of one hundred and fifty kilometers.
The device of the grave pit
After excavating in all five burial grounds, scientists came to the conclusion that representatives of the Pazyryk culture paid special attention to the construction and arrangement of the grave chamber. At a depth of at least five meters, they erected log cabins from thick logs. Sometimes the burial chamber even had double walls and a ceiling covered with a large number of dried plants.
The inner chamber was usually no more than one and a half meters high, and archaeologists discovered sarcophagi in it. They were cut down from a single piece of wood. This was done with a small bronze hatchet. The sarcophagus was usually richly decorated with images of animals, most often it was roosters and deer.
The mystical significance of plants in burials
Usually, builders put Kuril tea, larch bark and birch on the roof of the burial "house". Scientists have found that they were sacred to the nomadic tribes of Altai. For example, birch symbolized eternal purity, but larch was considered a special tree that connects two worlds - a light under heaven and a dark underground. Thanks to the bark of this tree, the deceased could easily move to another world.
The mystery of the fifth barrow
The fifth Pazyryk barrow, the last discovered by archaeologists, is considered one of the most unique. Two mummies were found in his burial chamber. A man and a woman were buried, the approximate age of the deceased does not exceed forty years.
The bodies of the noble members of the tribe were preserved very well, not only due to permafrost, but also by careful processing after death. Presumably, the man was a noble warrior during his lifetime and his skin is almost completely covered with tattoos. A woman could be his wife or concubine. This is evidenced by the rich decoration of the sarcophagus and the remains of clothes sewn from their cotton fabric and fur.
Mummification Method
Thanks to the bodies found, scientists were able to figure out how shamans and ancient doctors mummified the bodies of the nobility. First of all, they made a small hole in the skull of the deceased and with special tools removed the brain from it. Instead, dried aromatic herbs were placed in the skull box.
The body was cut, it was completely deprived of internal organs, tendons and muscles. After these manipulations, the empty space was filled with herbs and sewn up with horsehair.
To prevent the smell of rotting flesh from spreading around the mounds, a large dish filled with hemp seeds was placed next to the sarcophagi. They absorbed all the unpleasant odors. In the fifth barrow, this dish was found covered with a thin silk cloth.
The most unique finds of the mound
The burial ground, discovered by the latter, is known not only for two perfectly preserved mummies of people, but also for other unique finds that reveal the culture of nomadic tribes of the Scythian period.
Behind the walls of the log house, archaeologists were able to find the burial of several horses. According to some reports, initially there were fourteen. Surprisingly, in addition to the well-preserved harness, scientists found whole harness, leather masks, drags and a chariot. Some carcasses of horses were classified as a Mongolian breed, characterized by low growth.
Historians were very interested in two carpets, which were well preserved until the opening of the mound. The first is supposedly made by Pazyryk craftsmen. He covered the walls of the burial chamber and was made of snow-white felt. He was distinguished by vivid applications, on one of the fragments a fairy-tale character, which combines the features of a person and several animals (some of them were not found in the territory of Gorny Altai), fought with Phoenix.
Another carpet is pile and is considered one of the most ancient and valuable exhibits. It is made in knotted form and brought from Persia. Such finds in Altai have not yet been made.
Pazyryk culture
Surprisingly, scientists still do not know how this culture came from, where it came from and how long it existed. Some historians believe that the Pazyryks came to Altai from Asia Minor and maintained strong trade relations with different tribes.
According to one source, they existed as a single people for no more than fifty years and then completely disappeared among the locals. Other scholars claim that the Pazyryk culture lasted more than two hundred years in Altai.
Where are the finds from the Pazyryk mounds (Altai) stored?
If you find yourself in the Hermitage, then be sure to look into the department of primitive culture. It is here that the most valuable specimens brought from burial grounds are exhibited.
Also, several items are in local history museums in two cities: Biysk and Gorno-Altaysk. Of course, there is not too rich an exposition here, but still the exhibits will provide an opportunity to appreciate the uniqueness of civilization that has sunk into eternity.
The road to the mounds
Those who plan to go to see the burial grounds next summer are best off on their way from Biysk. From here you need to go along the Chuysky tract, the distance is a little more than five hundred kilometers.
At the village of Aktash, travelers need to turn left to Ulagan. Further the road goes to Balyktuyul, and from there to go to the Pazyryk mounds no more than fifty kilometers. Tourists can navigate by signs.
Anomalies of the mounds
Of course, a lot of people come here, but do not forget that the locals always warn about the anomaly of the barrows. Often, cars stall across from them, and the horses refuse to move on, sometimes stumbling around for several hours. It is impossible to make the animal or car move at such moments. After a while, everything passes, and travelers continue the journey as if nothing had happened.
Often, locals see a tall and sad woman in rich clothes, who wanders around the mounds and laments over their destruction. And sometimes before the eyes of eyewitnesses a red-haired beauty appears, coming straight from the burial ground. She easily takes off over the graves and disappears in a flash of bright light.
Who knows what ghosts are. Perhaps it was their bodies that were once buried here, and their secrets are still trying to reveal to modern historians and archaeologists.