A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Study
of Archaeological Complexes with Mummified Objects

V. I. Molodin and N. V. Polos’mak*

Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography, Siberian Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia

e-mail: molodin@archaeology.nsc.ru; polosmaknatalia@gmail.com

Received September 7, 2015

Abstract—Frozen graves of representatives of the Pazyryk culture, one of the most interesting Scythian cul-
tures (the 6th–3rd centuries BC), undisturbed by ancient robbers, were found and investigated on the Ukok Pla-
teau, one of the highest regions of the Altai Mountains with registered archaeological artifacts. It is an unprec-
edented occurrence in the more than century-old history of the study of this culture: all the known burial places
had been robbed. The frozen graves contained numerous almost pristine items of the accompanying inventory,
primarily made of organic materials, which do not survive under other conditions. In two cases, mummified
bodies, male and female, were found. All these materials have been studied for more than 20 years by represen-
tatives of different sciences, which has ensured significant progress in studying not only the Pazyryk culture but
also the epoch as a whole.

Keywords: archaeology, Ukok, Pazyryk culture, Altai, mummies.

DOI: 10.1134/S1019331616020040

Pleiades Publishing home page | journal home page | top

If you have any problems with this server, contact webmaster.