Specific traits of mortuary rite Spasskii necropolis of Irkutsk fortress

The article contains results of rescue archaeological excavations of necropolis of XVIII century near the Spasskaya church of Irkutsk fortress. During excavations, 379 burials in coffins and wooden blocks and remains of different constructions were discovered within area equal to 330 square meters. The problems of specific traits of mortuary rite including spatial distribution of graves, stratigraphy, grave orientation, and grave goods were under scrutiny in the article. All these specific traits are compared with materials of necropolis of XVII-XIX centuries in European part of Russia, Ural, and Siberia. Questions of interpretation of some details of mortuary rite, e.g. tradition of placing vessels in grave, presence of pectoral crosses on buried individuals, etc., are discussed here.