Preliminary results of archaeological research at the Tokhtymeipai-8 burial ground

This article presents the preliminary results of archaeological research at the Tokhtymeipai-8 burial ground in Tokhtymeipai locality on the western shore of Lake Domashnyi Sor in the left bank area of the lower reaches of the Irtysh River in Khanty-Mansiysky District of Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug-Yugrain in the north of Western Siberia. The burial ground occupies the entire area of the promontory of the same name; 624 grave depressions were found with the higher density of grave structures in the central part. Currently the archaeological site is in a bad state; the burial ground was many times subjected to predatory excavations. During the field season of 2017, two excavation pits were made in the central part of the site over the total area of 69 m2; 12 graves were examined; an object tentatively designated as a “memorial place” was found in the space between the graves. Bone remains were discovered in seven burials; four of them belonged to women over 18 years of age. The skulls were arranged vertically. In some cases, bone remains were covered with birch bark; remains of wooden structures inside the graves were in some burials. The state of the anthropological evidence was poor. The collection of grave goods found during the excavation numbered 110 objects, including weaponry (iron points), adornments and outfit elements made of non-ferrous metals, pottery and pottery fragments, riveted cauldrons, iron fragments of objects, and blanks of stone tools. The evidence from the Tokhtymeipai-8 burial ground shows many parallels with the complexes from the necropoleis of the Surgut Ob region.