Disturbed Paired Burials of Kozhumberdy Cultural Group, Late Bronze Southern Urals

Abstract

This article aims at discussing the time and the character (pragmatic or ritual) of disturbances in paired burials of Kozhumberdy cultural group of Late Bronze Alakul´ Culture in the Southern Urals and Western Kazakhstan. Data. The object of the study are Kozhumberdy paired burials, which were deliberately disturbed, including 19 simultaneous and 3 non-simultaneous graves. Results. The simultaneous burials are divided into two groups according to the degree of skeletal impairment. In the first group the remains of both deceased are equally broken; there are 10 of such burials. The skeletal impairment of pelvic and/or femur bones prevail. In the second group the remains of one of the deceased are broken to a greater degree; there are 9 such burials. As a rule, the female bones suffered more: the skull manipulation (removal, breaking) is their characteristic feature. The fact of the presence of vessels in situ in most graves and the accuracy with which the penetration was accomplished may serve as the evidence of the disturbances made by the contemporaries of the buried. There seems to be no pragmatic purpose for such disturbances: the absence of prestigious grave-goods in most undisturbed paired burials may serve as the indirect indication of this fact. This is supported by direct evidence as well because those who disturbed the graves were apparently not interested in the valuable jewelry; it was left in the disturbed part of the grave. Notably, the disturbance of non-simultaneous burials is like that of simultaneous graves: the skeletons are broken down to the pelvic and/or femur bones (1) and the skulls are removed (2). Conclusions. The disturbance of Kozhumberdy paired burials was carried out during post-burial rituals performed by the contemporaries of the deceased.

Keywords

• bronze epoch
• alakul culture
• kozhumberdy cultural group
• paired burials
• disturbed burials