Funeral complexes of the Isteekh Byraan burial ground in Central Yakutia: materials from the current stage of research

This article is dedicated to the current stage of research on the Isteekh Byraan burial ground in the Khangalassky district of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia). The burial ground is located in the Erkeeni valley (Middle Lena) on a hill 50 meters high. Research on the burial ground began in 1933 with the excavation of the burial of the famous Yakut leader Mazary Bozekov, grandson of Tygyn Darkhan, and continues to this day. The purpose of this article is to introduce the results of archaeological work conducted by employees of the Institute for Humanitarian Research and North Indigenous Peoples Problems (Siberian Branch, RAS), in the territory of the cemetery. The main material consists of finds from the archaeological expedition between 2015 and 2023. A total of seven burials were investigated: four male, two female, and one horse burial. The discovered burials are pagan. The buried individuals were oriented with their heads to the west. Two male burials are earlier, while the others date back to the 18th century. Similar burial structures, rituals, and artifact and costume complexes indicate the affiliation of the buried individuals to a single cultural community. A complex of scientific data has been obtained, expanding the information base on the cultural identity and social structure of the Isteekh Byraan burial ground. The small number of burials within a relatively large area of the cemetery is likely related to the fact that only individuals of high social status were buried in this region. At the same time, it is worth noting the rather sparse artifact and costume complexes of the investigated burials – possibly indicating that the high social status of the buried individuals was primarily due to their blood ties with representatives of the ruling elite, the Tygynids.

Yakutia, late Middle Ages, modern era, funerary archeology, burial grounds, horse burial, accompanying grave goods, funeral rites, Yakuts, Peoples of Siberia