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Archaeologists shared insights into the unique characteristics of burial sites in the Arctic region.

Researchers from Tyumen State University and the Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences in Novosibirsk have investigated the Num-khibya-sikheri VIa burial site, located in the Tazovsky District of the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug. The uniqueness of this archaeological site lies in its reflection of the Christianization process among the indigenous population of the North.
Археологи поделились уникальными характеристиками могильников Заполярья.

The article "Burial Rites and the Issues of Christianization of the Indigenous Population of the Tazovsky Polar Region" by archaeologists Alexander Tkachev, Ekaterina Gyurdzhoyan, Maya Filatova, Mikhail Utkin, and other scholars was published in the journals Stratum plus ("Archaeology and Cultural Anthropology") and “Bulletin of Archaeology, Anthropology, and Ethnography”.


The uniqueness of this archaeological site located in the Arctic region lies in its reflection of the Christianization process of the indigenous population of the North: elements of burial rites and structures, as well as the presence of personal artifacts like cross pendants and icons, indicate the infiltration of Christian faith into the culture of the indigenous (Selkup) population.

The study of the burial ground has identified five variations of burial space organization: deep graves (up to 1.5 meters) with multi-tiered wooden structures that housed wooden boxes, logs, or coffins containing the deceased. These wooden structures were fastened with wrought nails.

The examined burials were primarily for children, mostly infants (2-6 months) and a child aged 5-7 years. This is related to the fact that during the first year of life, a child is more susceptible to various exogenous and endogenous factors (infectious and respiratory diseases, epidemics, as well as general bodily weakness and congenital defects), which led to a high infant mortality rate.

The researchers conducted a thorough analysis of personal piety items (cross pendants and icons) from the Num-khibya-sikhery VIa burial site, characterizing the morphological features of the artifacts (sizes, shapes, decorations) and analyzing the iconographic images.

Thanks to colleagues from the South Ural Federal Scientific Center for Mineralogy and Geoecology of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences (Miass), it was possible to conduct X-ray fluorescence analysis and determine the chemical composition of the alloys. A comparison of the results obtained by the scientists with the composition of crosses from various sites across Russia showed similarities in their elemental composition: the primary components were copper, zinc, lead, and tin in varying proportional ratios.

It is likely that the crosses were manufactured in factories in Central Russia and then disseminated to other regions, including northern Western Siberia. It is important to note that by the end of the 19th to the beginning of the 20th century, the indigenous population had developed an established practice of using symbols of the Orthodox faith—only in one instance was a cross on a chain placed around a child's neck; in other cases, Christian attributes were located in different parts of the graves, indicating that Orthodox items were not used as a direct representation of Christianity, but rather as special protective charms.

The excellent preservation of archaeological wood allowed for a dendrochronological (tree-ring) analysis to be conducted in collaboration with colleagues from the Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences (Novosibirsk), clarifying the operational period of the burial complex within the second quarter of the 19th to the early 20th century.

Thanks to the comprehensive analysis conducted, it can be stated that the materials from the Num-khibya-sikhery VIa burial site demonstrate a rather complex system of religious syncretism: on one hand, there are evident elements indicating the penetration of Christian traditions into the burial rites of the northern Selkups, while on the other hand, features of archaic Selkup burial practices continue to be preserved.