On the outskirts of the village of Zayukovo there are three ancient burial grounds. People were buried here since the 6th century BC. Archaeologists are still struggling with the mystery of the necropolis, which existed for a thousand years.
Prior to that, local residents plundered ancient cemeteries and literally carried artifacts from burial grounds with buckets. Therefore, scientists from the Hermitage, the Pushkin Museum and the State Institute of Archeology of the Russian Academy of Sciences sounded the alarm. They themselves decided to organize expeditions here.
The finds are stunning: a Scythian warrior with funeral gifts, hundreds of jewelry from the Koban and Sarmatian periods. Elongated, like Nefertiti's, the skull of a young priestess dating from the 3rd century AD. An iron fibula, a bronze bracelet and a clay mug with the master's mark were found in a children's burial. Usually, with children, ancient people did not put anything in the grave. But this, most likely, was either a very rich or beloved child, says Anna Kadieva, head of the joint North Caucasian expedition of the State Historical Museum, KBSU and the Institute of Archeology of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
“Here is a piece of leather, apparently, the bracelet was worn over leather clothing. Therefore, a piece has survived,”said Kadieva.
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But the greatest surprise of the scientist was caused by the find, which has not been found anywhere except in this place.
“The most striking burial was with a urine bag. It's like an ancient diaper. It dates from the 8th century BC. It has survived here, but it has not been seen before in the antiquities of the 8th century BC,”the historian said.
Those who went up the hill: the secret of the Zayukovsky necropolis; Those who went up the mountain: the secret of the Zayukovsky necropolis
In fact, this is an ordinary lamb bone with a hole made in it for urine to drain. The bone was installed in the cradle in a special way and communicated with the vessel under the bottom of the crib. By the way, before the advent of diapers, this device was used by many. In any case, among the inhabitants of the Caucasian peoples.
“They found the skull of a young woman. With traces of deformation, ovoid, slightly elongated. In childhood, a child's skull was pulled out, bandaged, and then, at a more mature age, such deformed, elongated skulls were obtained,”said Sergei Demidenko, an employee of the Scythian-Sarmatian archeology department of the State Institute of Archeology of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
Why and why they did it, there is no answer yet. Perhaps it was a social sign. Or the girl was being prepared for a priestly mission. Scientists could only establish that she was no more than 16 years old. She lived in the 3rd century AD. Similar skulls are found in the burial grounds of neighboring Karachay-Cherkessia. One exhibit is kept in the Pyatigorsk Museum. According to Mikhail Semidyaev, an employee of the Pyatigorsk Museum of Local Lore, a similar tradition was practiced among the ancient Alans before the arrival of Christianity.
“The fact is that other nations also had such customs. Up to the point that even the Indians of Central and South America had these customs too. What is the reason for this? I myself am not a doctor, but somehow I consulted with a specialist of my acquaintance, so he put forward such a version that with such a deformation of the skull, underdeveloped frontal lobes are obtained. A person develops a tendency to trance, hallucinations, and he artificially acquires properties that were characteristic of shamans,”the historian emphasized.
No less interesting find is a man-warrior with funeral gifts. The warrior was buried in the 6th century BC. With him is a bronze ring, for some reason female. Apparently, a gift from his beloved wife. Iron sword akinak, spearhead, bronze bracelet and even sharpening for sword and spear.
“This is a sensational burial. I clean a medieval jug. It turns out that the Middle Ages crashed into the Koban burial,”said Kadieva.
Gone up the mountain: the secret of the Zayukovsky necropolis
At the same time, burials of the Sarmatians were literally admitted into the burials of the Koban culture. This happened in a very specific way. Representatives of antiquity of each era had their own funeral rites.
“The Kobanians had a rite of burial in boxes and ground pits, these had a rite of passage in the linings and catacombs. Therefore, there are later burials below than above,”said the scientist.
What did these burial traditions mean? Scientists are at a loss. There are dozens and even hundreds of burial grounds that were built right in the walls of sheer cliffs. Perhaps this is how they went to some otherworldly, afterlife. Maybe uphill. After all, the burial grounds are located at an altitude of almost 1.5 thousand meters above sea level. In any case, there is a legend in these places that a person goes up the mountain and is born from the mountain.
Author: Marina Sasikova. Photo: MTRK Mir