Scientists Unearth Ancient Royal Tomb Harboring Remains of 18 Horses, Sheds Light on Scythian Funeral Ritual

Researchers uncovered ancient remains of horses from southern Siberia, which they believe could have been part of a Scythian funerary ritual. Along with horse remains, researchers also spotted human remains and fragments of tack used for riding horses in Tuva, Popular Mechanics stated. After analyzing the remains experts concluded that the setup was a funerary arrangement. The items also raised questions regarding the origin of Scythians. Findings regarding the discoveries have been published in Antiquity. 

The remains and artifacts were found inside the ninth-century B.C. Tunnug 1 tomb. The arrangement predates any of the known Scythian funerary setups to this date. As per researchers, this implies that the culture is older than present assertions. Researchers also claimed that the discovery's location indicated that this nomadic group originated much farther east than previously believed. "The horseback-riding Scythians have sparked the imaginations of people since the days of Herodotus," Gino Caspari, lead author of the research shared. "But the origins of their culture have remained hidden in remote corners of the Eurasian steppes for a long time."

Much of what is known about Scythian culture comes from Greek historian, Herodotus, stated Archaeology Magazine. In the fifth century B.C.E., he wrote about the elaborate burial rituals followed by this group. As per his writing, the deceased elites were honored with human and animal sacrifices. He claimed that horses were gutted, stuffed, and spread around the sacrificed humans to make it look as if they were riding around the mound. The findings of ninth-century B.C. Tunnug 1 tomb aligns with this explanation implying that the Scythian culture had deep connections with Southern Siberia, as per researchers. 

The horse remains and the horse riding equipment at the site made researchers conclude that the particular funerary practice was much focused on horses, according to Popular Mechanics. Items like tack, indicate a connection to certain horse cultures of Mongolia, which is older than Siberia. Such arrangements have been found in other known European Scythian burials, connecting the culture to Siberia and Mongolia. "These finds demonstrate the emergence of pan-steppe cultural linkages," the team wrote, "showing agreement between geographically dispersed etic written sources and archaeological material."

The animal-style artifacts unearthed from the region are some of the oldest Scythian items found by experts. "After years of hard fieldwork in Siberia, it’s wonderful to hold some of the oldest Scythian-style animal objects in our hands," Caspari wrote. After examination, experts determined that the human remains found at the site all belonged to one man. Experts speculated that the horses in the location were sacrificed in that individual's honor. Researchers were ecstatic to get such important finds associated with Scythian culture in their hands, Archaeology Magazine stated. This finding was particularly crucial as the culture has left no written records of their existence. "Unearthing some of the earliest evidence of a unique cultural phenomenon is a privilege and a childhood dream come true," Caspari said. The items formed a burial mound placed in the popular "Siberian Valley of the Kings," where many ancient elites from the country were buried.