Provisional data of rescue excavations of burial sites of the late bronze age in the area of the Kazanovka-6 burial ground in the Askiz district of the Republic of Khakassia in 2020

During the rescue archaeological excavations in the area of the Kazanovka-6 burial mound of the Tagar culture in the Askiz district of the Republic of Khakassia, a Late Bronze Age burial complex, represented by a series of stone fences and cysts, was discovered. It occupies the northern part of the burial mound and was studied by excavations No. 6, 21a, and 21b. A burial complex of the Karasuk culture was discovered in excavation No. 6. The graves were located both around the central structure in the main fence, and in separate fences and annexes. They are represented by rectangular and trapezoidal stone cysts. Fences are oriented to the cardinal points. Most of the burials were plundered or destroyed in antiquity. Overlappings over the graves, consisting of flat slabs, are displaced or fell into the grave pits. The bones in the graves were arranged chaotically. Based on the location of undisturbed parts of the skeletons and the shape of the stone cysts, it was concluded that the buried were oriented to the west or east. The burial inventory is represented by fragments of ceramic vessels and bronze objects (belt clips, plate “mirrors,” fragments of wire earrings, rivets with rounded heads, clawed pendant). Excavation 21a revealed an accumulation of stones destroyed during the construction and operation of the railway, which was interpreted as part of a Late Bronze burial ground. Two burials in stone cysts surrounded by fences were found in excavation 21b. Both burials were badly damaged in antiquity. Anthropological remains and a ceramic vessel were recorded in the graves. Based on the features of the burial rite, the morphometric characteristics of the structures, the composition of the burial implements, the burials were preliminarily attributed to Stage I (Karasuk) of the Late Bronze Age.