Radiocarbon chronology of post-Scythian burial practices in the Minusinsk Basin (Southern Siberia)

Abstract

This article examines the radiocarbon chronology of Tes’ and Tashtyk burial sites in the Minusinsk Basin of Southern Siberia. This region is known for its remarkable diversity of burial constructions and highly complex mortuary practices in the post-Scythian period (2nd century BC to 6th century AD). Based on 168 radiocarbon dates, we traced the chronology and variability of burial practices throughout this period. For the first time, a representative series of radiocarbon dates for Tashtyk crypts has been obtained, demonstrating that crypts were constructed synchronously with various types of Tashtyk burials in late 1st–6th centuries AD. Unique mortuary practices, involving the posthumous preservation of corpses and the creation of anthropomorphic effigies and dolls, often featuring clay-plaster “masks,” remained in practice for at least 700 years, spanning both the Tes’ and Tashtyk periods. Bayesian modeling reveals the coexistence of the Tes’ and Tashtyk sites during the 1st–3rd centuries AD, which allows us to suggest a smooth and gradual transition from one culture to another.