Preliminary results of the study of structure No. 50 of the Bronze Age Taldy-1 burial ground

(Shet district, Karaganda Region)

Abstract

The article presents the results of the study of structure No. 50 of the Taldy-1 burial ground. The necropolis is located in the Shet district of the Karaganda Region, 93 km south-east of the city of Karaganda, on the left bank of the Taldy River on a relatively flat area. The object of archaeological investigation was structure No. 50, which includes 10 burial chambers in the form of rectangular stone cists; 90% of the burials were looted in ancient times. A distinctive constructional feature is the presence of a single sub-rectangular pit uniting all the burials. The burial chambers made of granite slabs are arranged in a chain, parallel to each other, which indicates the simultaneity of the funerary rite. It is possible that this structure reflects a deterioration of the epidemiological situation in antiquity. Judging by the fragmentarily preserved skeletal remains, the deceased were laid in a flexed position on the left side and oriented to the west. The discovered female bronze jewelry, including an earring with open ends, a pendant of 1.5 turns plated with gold foil, and bracelets with conical terminals, as well as a small amount of ceramic material, indicate that the monument belongs to the Alakul culture of the Bronze Age and can be dated to the 17th century BC.