Archaeologists have discovered a rare ritual complex of the IV century BC in the Southern Urals

Archaeologists working in the Southern Urals have discovered an unusual ritual complex that significantly changes the understanding of early nomadic culture. This was reported on December 2 by Arkeonews magazine.

The opening of the Institute of Archaeology of the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS) concerns a ritual pit filled with rare bronze masks, exposed bronze plates, elite horse harness and a gold plaque depicting the head and forepaw of a tiger. The complex dates back to the IV–III centuries BC and is considered one of the richest ritual graves in the region.

The find was discovered at the "High Grave — Studenikin Mar" necropolis in the Orenburg region under disturbed surface layers. Many ceremonial offerings were concentrated in the building, including complete sets of horse bridles, bronze and bimetallic ornaments, carved bone products and plates with animalistic motifs. It is emphasized that more than 100 objects, as well as more than 500 soft elements, have been well preserved.

One of the most striking features of the collection is its aesthetic diversity. The most fascinating piece is a gold applique depicting the head and front paw of a tiger. Such images are said to have been created with broader traditions of steppe animal art, but tiger motifs are relatively rare in this region, which makes the product symbolic and potentially imported.

Project manager Sergey Sirotin emphasized that the scale and complexity of the find surpass any other ritual complex. According to him, many of the objects found have direct analogies in the North Caucasus, the Don and the Northern Black Sea region. Their presence is believed to emphasize extensive communication networks, cultural interactions, and shared symbols.

The contents of the ritual pit confirm the important role of horses in the ritual life of nomadic peoples. Archaeologists have documented entire sets of bits, including iron parts, horns and metal ornaments, bronze elements on the bridles and many decorative plates of various shapes and sizes.

In addition to the horse equipment, the ritual orientation of the pit is evident in the discovery of a wooden bowl decorated with silver animal-style plates. The bowl was probably used during rituals and was intentionally placed next to horse equipment.

These elements signal complex ritual actions, possibly related to posthumous rites near the monumental mounds of nomadic elites. Instead of placing these objects in burial chambers, ancient nomads seem to have conducted rituals in open ceremonial spaces, leaving offerings to honor their ancestors or maintain the spiritual authority of ruling clans.

Earlier, on December 2, the Science of Siberia magazine reported on the description of ancient petroglyphs discovered by a group of archaeologists in the territory of the Mongolian Altai. It was clarified that the experts relied on the experience of studying European cave paintings.

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