Funerary chamber - the floor was covered by a layer of ices 12 cm thick. Ice had begun to form before the grave was robbed thus aiding in the preservation of some of the grave materials. Foodstuffs in the burial chamber had, however, decomposed. Elsewhere in the chamber, a yellowish, muddy water had entered as the result of the robbers’ forced entry and then frozen. This also contributed to preservation of items in the burial chamber. The floor of the chamber and the walls (up to 65 cm high) were covered by black felt. A decorative trimming, consisting of a band of white felt with a frieze of colored lotus blossoms, had formed a decorative border on the black felt covering and had been ripped off by the robbers. Along the south wall stood a log coffin, along the east wall were eating utensils and musical instruments, and near the west wall were incense burners with their accessories. Four small tables with carved legs held oval shaped ceramic plates. The robbers had eaten from the plates and then smashed them. The legs of one table were shaped in the form of an elongated lion that had been covered with tin and gold foil and parts were painted. Next to the tables were clay vessels and two vase-shaped containers. Both of the containers had been covered with appliqué leather and embellished with tin. One had a frieze consisting of striding roosters, the other lotus silhouettes. Two wooden containers, and cup-like forms were nearby. A fragment of a carpet had circles of felt worked into its surface. An iron knife with a flat handle decorated with gold lay near these objects. Its wooden sheath was also close by. One of the musical instruments was a small drum in the form of an hourglass. Stringed instruments in the form of a lyre (harp) also were found.

Wooden Table Burial mound 2

Photography Professor Daniel C. Waugh Silk Road Seattle http://depts.washington.edu/silkroad/index.html

Coffin : The coffin was a hollowed out log more that 4 m in length. On the sides it had loops to aid in lowering it into the chamber. The front of the coffin was covered with birch bark and decorated with appliqué leather showing two reindeer walking behind each other. The interior of the coffin was lined with a double layer of black felt and a carpet on the bottom. The robbers had ripped off the cover of the coffin. Since the corpses, that of a man and woman were frozen, the robbers had to break open the side of the coffin to drag out the corpses. Some items were left behind in the coffin such as a wooden headrest covered with leather, a leather bag with carrying straps, stiffened at the top by a stick which ended in two lions heads [possibly part of the woman’s belongings], a round leather box filled with coriander seeds, a mirror of Greek form (two silver plates clamped together, fitted with a handle of ox horn), an iron fork with diverging prongs (use unknown), a small hide pouch containing black hair, finger-nail pairing [probably an amulet worn around the neck] that probably belonged to the robbers rather than as part the burial; a fragment of a comb made of horn, an earring that had been decorated with varied colored stones, beads of bone and cornelian [found in the coffin, on the floor of the burial chamber and in the passage made by the robbers].

Under the headrest was a diadem made up of a strip of wool covered with leather that showed a row of strutting roosters. From this band dangled small strips of sable skin that were trimmed with ornaments such as wooden figures with wings, horns, or ears of leather. Aclaws. Another similar piece was found outside the coffin. Both of the deceased were found outside the coffin, mutilated by the robbers in order to get at their jewelry. No single piece of clothing was left intact. A mantle made of squirrel skin with the fur inside had been slung over the shoulders of one of the individuals. It had imitation sleeves (too narrow to put on). On the outside, the parallel seams were sewn with strong sinew making the garment rather stiff. It was decorated small stag with enormous antlers was found standing on a chamfered ball with a peg beneath. Two griffins with short wings and huge crests and a gold covered head of a griffin may have been part of the diadem. Also in the coffin was the head of a griffin holding in its mouth the head of a stag. On the sides of the griffin there is a bas-relief of a griffin holding a goose in its with leather appliqué representing cock’s combs covered with gold. The edges of the garment were trimmed with horse skin. An apron was also reconstructed and apparently was made by the same method as the mantle. A man’s shirt of considerable length was found as well as fragments of at least three different belts decorated with leather appliqué, gold or tin or silver plates showing an ibex with its head turned to the rear and being attacked by a lion. The woman’s boots were decorated with a curvilinear plant-like form. The sole of each boot was decorated with a network pattern into which were worked 42 crystals of pyrite. Over the instep of the boots ran a border trimmed with small golden aquatic birds. Small glass beads were attached to trimming along the legs of the boots. Felt socks were inside the boots. Scattered over the floor of the chamber were small ornamental plaques with figures of horses, griffins, elk, etc.