An Early Neolithic sanctuary in the Eastern Irtysh basin

We describe the findings of excavations at an unusual sanctuary in the Baraba forest-steppe. It is a structure consisting of a ditch encircling the presumed sacral space, and a system of pits containing non-utilitarian artifacts. Pits in the bottom of the ditch indicate wooden structures, which are not preserved. Descriptions of the features are provided. Artifacts are related to household, manufacture, and ritual. On the basis of stratigraphy and radiocarbon analysis, relative and absolute chronology is assessed. The site dates to the 7th-6th millennia BC and is associated with the Barabinskaya culture. Parallels with Mesolithic and Neolithic sanctuaries and ritual sites in the Eurasian taiga zone are listed.