A resident of Siberia has unearthed an ancient grave that could be part of a burial ground dating back 7,000 years, Russia’s Academy of Sciences (RAS) said Wednesday.
The unnamed man stumbled on the finding in May while digging his garden on the outskirts of Ulan-Ude, the capital of Russia’s republic of Buryatia some 5,600 kilometers east of Moscow. Since then, scientists from the RAS institute of Mongolian, Buddhist and Tibetan studies have dated the burial to the Neolithic period.
The skeletons of three individuals — two adults and one child — were found laid in a similar pose, with the adults’ knees bent and all three looking in the same direction. One of the adults had a white stone ring on the skull and shell bracelets on the wrists.
“They were of course entombed according to burial rites,” the institute’s researchers Prokopyi Konovalov and Natalya Tsydenova told the RAS’ Siberian publication.
The scientists determined the approximate age of the skeletons based on their ornaments and the positions in which they were buried.
Konovalov and Tsydenova said they plan to identify the individuals’ specific age and gender through carbon dating and other types of analysis.
The scientists said they’re also currently performing geophysical sounding of the area in hopes of finding new burials.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
