Medieval Treasures

Scenery near the camp 'the Valley of Kings'. Photo by: Tatiana Handel
Scenery near the camp 'the Valley of Kings'. Photo by: Tatiana Handel

The joint international archaeological and geographical expedition of the Russian Geographical Society and the Institute of History of Material Culture of the Russian Academy of Sciences continues to clear the area around the Tunnug Mound in the Republic of Tuva. Several ritual sites have already been investigated.

In the course of the works a burial place belonging to the early Middle Ages, later time than the mound itself, was found. This is evidenced by the iron knife found next to the buried. A Chinese coin, dated not earlier than VII century ad, was also found on the site of the excavation. 

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Photo provided by Timur Sadykov
Photo provided by Timur Sadykov

"Apparently, the mound was a revered place not only in the time of the Scythians, when it was created, but also at a much later time," said Timur Sadykov, the head of the archaeological part of the expedition, a researcher of the Institute of History of Material Culture of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

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Photo provided by Timur Sadykov
Photo provided by Timur Sadykov

The archaeological and geographical expedition of the Russian Geographical Society to study the Tunnug mound is supported with a grant of the President of the Russian Federation for the development of civil society provided by the Presidential Grant Fund. The expedition is organized by the Russian Geographical Society with the participation of the Institute of History of Material Culture of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the Expedition Center of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation.