The Ustyurt and Mangyshlak Sanctuaries: Revisiting the Issue of the Seasonal Migration System Developed by the Southern Urals Nomads in the Middle of the I Millennium BC

The paper analyzes characteristics of some archaeological sites in the Ustyurt plateau and the Mangyshlak peninsula which are funerary complexes dating to the middle of the I millennium BC, though in special literature they are described as sanctuaries. The paper demonstrates the link between these sites during their construction and initial occupation as funerary complexes and the nomads who inhabited the Southern Urals in the second half of the 5th–4th centuries BC. It is recognized that the discussed sites marked the location of winter camps set up by the Southern Urals nomads; they can also indicate directions of such migrations. Distinctive traits of these funerary complexes that make them differ from the kurgans in the Southern Urals are considered as the result of transformation of nomadic cultural traditions due to variety of landscapes where funerary rites were performed as well as seasonal climatic conditions and economic factors.