Completion of field research of the internal burial structure in the Pazyryk burial mound 5

Seventy years after the excavations at the Pazyryk burial ground by S.I. Rudenko, it was decided to resume the study of burial mound 5. Investigation of the remaining internal grave structures and study at the periphery of the burial mound has been carried out since 2017. In the field season of 2019, the grave pit was completely explored, and various objects left after the previous excavations were discovered, such as bones and parts of horse carcasses, pieces of birch bark lining of the cribwork, fragments of bronze and wooden carved plates, fragments of gold foil and felt objects including numerous pieces of carpet and felt decorations of horse equipment. Spade made of horn, wooden shovel and clapper, parts of carriage, and other artifacts were found inside the cribwork and beyond its walls. Field conservation of all artifacts was conducted. As a part of the study of internal grave structures, the outer cribwork of the burial chamber and remains of the structures above the cribwork were extracted and studied. A preliminary reconstruction of the external cribwork was made in the field accompanied by photographic records and description of its structural and technological features. The cribwork was rectangular in plan, measuring 7 x 4 m along the lower perimeter and 2 m in height. It had a shape of truncated pyramid, which is typical of other similar structures of the Pazyryk culture. Good preservation of wood has made it possible to perform dendrochronological analysis, for which 40 samples were taken from various structural elements. All samples belonged to Siberian larch (Larix sibirica Ledeb.); the age of the trees varied from 150 to 260 years; the maximum diameter of the trunks ranged from 15 to 50 cm. The same year of timber harvesting which was done in the cold season (autumn-winter or early spring) was observed. An additional exploration of burial mound 5 has shown good prospects for revisiting the previously excavated royal burials of the Pazyryk culture, including the remaining four large burial mounds at the Pazyryk site.