Secondary Burials in Sarmat Kurgans in Western Kazakhstan

Abstract

A large number of Sarmat Kurgans have been explored in Western Kazakhstan starting from the Tsarist Period to the present. As a result, it was understood that in kurgans, individuals were buried in the pit (grave) opened in the first place, as well as in the kurgan pile over time, on the main ground beneath this pile or in the pit grave. The main burial is not found in the pile. As a matter of fact, it is possible to encounter both a main burial and a secondary burial on the ground. Therefore, to better express the secondary burials on the ground, they were evaluated in an integrated manner with the main burials on the ground. In the publications made to date, this subject has received neither detailed consideration nor semantic evaluation. In the article, excavation reports, books and articles related to archaeological studies carried out in Western Kazakhstan were examined. In these sources, secondary burials to the pile, the main floor and the pit grave were identified. Chronological determinations have been made about the location of these burials and also compared with similar burials around Orenburg, Bashkortostan, the Volga, Don rivers. However, a considerable estimate has been made on the meaning of secondary burials within the belief system.