Results of studying belt decoration from the medieval burial ground of Grishkin Log-2 in the Middle Yenisei region

This article presents the results of elemental analysis of foil covering bronze belt decoration from the burial of barrow 1 at the Grishkin Log-2 chaatas. This site is a part of the Grishkin Log group of sites on the left bank of the Yenisei River, which consists of eight separate burial grounds, explored in the beginning of the 1960s by L.P. Zyablin. The materials of these excavations have not been fully published, and the finds are currently kept in the Minusinsk Museum of Local History. The lining alloy consisted of three components: gold (85.6 %), silver (10.9 %), and copper (3.5 %). High percentage of copper may indicate that this element might have been specially added to the alloy. However, it is also possible that lining was made of native gold from the deposits of cupriferous gold. The thickness of lining was about than 0.5 mm, which is close to thick foil. It was attached to the surface of bronze base mechanically by bending the edges of foil to the reverse side of the bronze object. Wooden figurines of rams found in the burials at the Kapchaly 1 burial ground and at the Uibatsky chaatas were also decorated with gold leaf in archaic way without using glue. Gold sheets were attached with thin copper nails. In the 8th century AD, bronze decoration of belts and horse harness using more advanced technology of gold amalgamation appeared among the Yenisei Kyrgyz people