The mound is not only the largest and earliest Scythian burial, but it may have preserved the mummies of the Scythian kings.
Swiss National Science Foundation archaeologist Gino Caspari has discovered an intact Scythian mound more than 3,000 years old in the Russian republic of Tuva, according to the foundation's official website. All the evidence suggests that this is not only the largest Scythian tomb in Siberia, but also the earliest, and it may contain well-preserved treasures.
Gino Caspari made his discovery not during field work, but on a computer. He discovered a circular structure in satellite images of the valley of the Uyuk River in Siberia, also known as the "Siberian Valley of the Kings." A study this summer by a scientist at the University of Bern in collaboration with the Russian Academy of Sciences and the Hermitage confirmed his suspicions. The unusual circles discovered by Caspari are a mound, a Scythian royal tomb, which was given the name Tunnug-1.
The wooden beams found by archaeologists during excavations date back to the 9th century BC, which indicates that Tunnug-1 is the earliest Scythian burial in the region.
The Kurgan is located in a hard-to-reach swampy area - you can get to it from the nearest settlement in only five hours of a hard drive by an SUV. However, this is also an advantage, archaeologists say, as it means that the burial may not have been damaged by people and retained many treasures.
The climatic characteristics of the Siberian soil add optimism to scientists. The permafrost layer in the valley begins just a few meters below the surface, and the rays of sunlight cannot thaw the soil beneath the thick stone mounds. Ice prevents degradation of organic matter and preserves sensitive material. This is why Caspari hopes that during the excavation they will be able to find well-preserved wood carvings, carpets and possibly an ice mummy.