In October, the international archaeological journal Antiquity published an article on the results of five years of research at a unique, by world standards, kurgan.
“The results obtained during several field seasons at the Tunnug-1 kurgan are of international importance,” says the head of the expedition and a researcher at the Institute of History of Material Culture (IHMC) RAS Timur Sadykov. “There are no such kurgans anymore. It has a complex structure: on top it is covered with a stone shell assembled from different types of granite, limestone, volcanic and sedimentary rocks, conglomerates of different types of stone. One of the unanswered scientific questions is where the Scythians got the rocks from and how they were delivered. The kurgan is located in the center of a floodplain, far from the sources of the stone, and there are tons of it here. The famous Arzhan-1 kurgan had a similar structure, but it is made only of wood and stone, and at Tunnug clay was actively used, and we do not yet understand why.
For the seventh year, the archaeological expedition of the RGS and the IHMC RAS has been working in Tuva on the Tunnug-1 kurgan. Among its participants are scientists and volunteers from Russia and other countries. The achievements of the specialists are presented to the world scientific community – academic thought is above geopolitical barriers.
Tunnug-1 is a royal kurgan with a radial structure. This year, the expedition members were engaged in excavations of the central part of the monument. According to the scientists, representatives of the elite of the ancient society could be buried there. Over several months of work, more than 10,000 finds were made, mainly human and horse bones, harness elements, ceramics, bone, horn, iron and bronze products, including in the traditional Scythian animal style. The excavations of the central part of the kurgan allow us to draw the first conclusions, the main one of which is the confirmation of the exceptional scientific significance of the project. In addition, two accompanying structures were found in the center of the monument, and not one, as previously assumed. All new international works on the Scythian topic already include the results of work at the Tunnug-1 kurgan: without it, the Early Scythian culture and the question of its origin are unimaginable.
“We are opening up unique opportunities for scientists," says Natalya Belyakova, Director of the Expeditionary and Tourism Development Department of the RGS, Candidate of Historical Sciences. “By participating in our projects, they can solve scientific problems in remote areas of the country and work for several seasons in a row. This ensures continuity and regular monitoring. Testing of equipment and technologies is also part of the experimental unit. In addition, the federal expeditions of the Society provide valuable experience in working with representatives of various fields of scientific knowledge. The results of the expeditions are articles in top academic journals as well as publications on the media resources of the RGS, in popular science and business media.”
The expedition is conducted by the Russian Geographical Society in cooperation with the IHMC RAS.