Kulai Burial in a Boat on Barsova Gora

Abstract

The materials of one of the burials of the early Iron Age burial ground, discovered near Surgut, are published in the paper. It was performed in a boat. This is the second grave at the site in terms of the number of items inside. Its grave goods are represented by decorations, fragments of plaques, mirrors and plates made of non-ferrous metal, including engraved items, wooden figurines, an iron product in a bone handle, and a vessel. The site belongs to the Kulai culture and dates back to the beginning of the 1st Millennium AD. An overview of burial grounds and burial complexes of the Kulai culture in the Surgut Ob River region and adjacent regions is provided. The author demonstrates the diversity of the burial rite, and its probable connection with the social structure of society. The originality of the Barsova Gora VII burial ground is expressed in the presence of burials in boats, as well as a large number of cult objects. It has been suggested that cult servants (shamans) could be buried at the site.

Keywords

• archaeology
• kulai culture
• burial rite
• surgut ob river region