A recently discovered Jurchen burial ground in Primorye

Purpose. The Manchus’ ancestors, the Jurchen people who established the Jin Dynasty (1115-1234) and the Eastern Xia State (1215-1233) on the territory of the Far East, constructed many sites dated back to those periods in Primorye. Mostly, the sites are walled town, settlements and religious buildings. Up to the present day, the Jurchen burial grounds have remained a highly disputable issue and require more detailed descriptions and more accurate dating. Such a burial ground was found 2 km southeast from the village of Novitskoye in the Partizansky District of Primorye. In the article, we analyze and date the artifacts discovered. Results. The archaeological site is located on the creek valley that is 600 m wide extending from the east to the west. The burial ground is located in a deep mountain glen closed on three sides. Fifteen platform-based graves were excavated there. We have determined that all the bodies buried there had been cremated. The ash was put into a ceramic or wooden urn and then placed onto a flat stone on the bottom of the burial pit. After that, the urn was covered with another flat stone and some wooden pieces. One of the graves was constructed on a high basement decorated with two rows of stones. A «devitalized» (embowed) sword was put over the quiver with eleven arrowheads and some remains of bone dust found on the southwestern side of the basement. A grave house made of river gravels, stones or roofing tiles was erected over the grave. Then the pieces of wood were burnt, all the graveside decorations were covered up with soil. As a result, the grave turned into a small mound. We compared the funeral rites and the constructive features of the burial ground in Novitskoye to those of the previously excavated sites and discovered certain similarities in the cremation rituals and some differences in details of the burial constructions. Conclusion. The burial ground of Novitskoye gives archaeologists an opportunity to outline a more comprehensive concept of the Jurchen funeral traditions of the XII-XIII centuries and associate them with the Buddhist funeral ceremony. It was done by determining the ceremonial features, researching the burial constructions excavated and analyzing their chronological and social contexts.