An extraordinary burial from Begazy-Dandybay burial ground Tesiktas

Abstract

The problems of the Begazy-Dandybay culture continue to be quite acute, despite decades of research. Each new monument introduces new nuances that are important for understanding this culture. The proposed article publishes the materials of the excavations of the fence 2 of the Tesiktas burial ground. They are dated according to the method of analogies by 14^th–12^th centuries BC and belong to the Begazy-Dandybay culture. The burial chamber of granite slabs contained the bones of a 25–35-year-old woman in the last months of pregnancy and a baby aged 0 to two months. Despite the ancient robbery, numerous burial implements have been preserved in the grave, represented by a bronze awl, 25 vessels (marked No. 1–25) and an earthenware dish. The funeral food is represented by the ribs of a sheep. Some of the vessels were made "in haste" specifically for use in the funeral rite. Using fingerprinting methods, it was found that among the potters there were men and children aged 7–10 years old who made votive vessels for burial. It is assumed that the family of the deceased woman participated in the preparation and conduct of this ceremony.