Burial rite of the Bystryanka culture bearers

The article deals with the history of the study of the burial rite of the Bystryansk culture population, occupied the northern foothills of Altai in the Scythian-Saka period. The views of a number of scientists on the main culture-defining characteristics of the ritual practice of the community under study are presented. In general, the unity of positions of researchers regarding this issue has been noted (construction of barrows of stone and earth; presence of a single burial under the mound; construction of a wooden burial chamber; orientation of the deceased with the head towards the western sector of the horizon; presence of accompanying burials of horses in the southern part of the burial pit, etc.). The divergences of archaeologists’ views on some aspects of the Bystryanka population burial traditions are explained by the introduction of new data into scientific discourse, which makes it possible to specify some features of ritual practice, as well as the attribution by scientists of certain burial grounds to the Bystryanka culture

Archaeology · Art · Historiography · Rite · Theology · Ancient and Medieval Archaeology Studies · History · Philosophy