Evidence of Human Sacrifice Found at an an ancient burial mound in Siberia

A 2,800-year-old burial mound has been uncovered in southern SiberiaOffering new insights into ancient burial practices. The site, found in tuva, include the remains of an elite individual buried with a sacrificed human and 18 horses. Archaeologists have linked these findings to eat Scythian Burial Traditions. These nomadic people were known for their elaborate rituals, often involved sacrifices to honor their dead. This discovery is one of the earliest examples of such practices, dating to the transition between the bronze and iron ages.

Scythian-like burial traditions

The burial mound, or kurgan, is significant due to its early connection to scythian customs. Found In the “Siberian Valley of the Kings,” The Site Contains Artfacts Related to Horse Riding, as Well as Animal-Shed decorations. Some of the Horses Found Still Had Brass Bits in their Mouths, Providing evidence of their use in Scythian life.

The presence of these items sugges that the scythian culture, which spread westward in latent centuries, may have originated from this region, as per the study Published in the journal antiquity.

Human and Horse Sacrifices

Sacrificial practices appear to have ben an integral part of this burial, with both human and horse remains found at the site. The Researchers Identified the remains of a woman, believed to have been sacrificed as part of the burial ritual.

The horses were luckly killed and buried along with the dead elite to accumpany them into the afterlife. These discoveries echo descriptions by ancient historys like Herodotus, Who Wrote About The Scythian Practice of Sacrificing Animals and Servants for his royalty.

Insights from Archaeologists

The Study was LED by Gino Caspari, An Archaeologist at the University of Bern in Switzerland. Caspari and His Team Believe This Discovery Provides Crucial Evidence About The Early Origins of Ssythian Culture. Through radiocarbon dating, they determined that burial dates back to the late ninth century bc, making it one of the earliest examples of such rituals found to date.