Burial of a ‘Priestess’ from Filippovka 1 Cemetery: an attempt of a comprehensive study

Abstract

The paper addresses chronological issues with burial 2 from kurgan 1 from Filippovka 1 burial ground, a semantic analysis of some uncovered objects of art, as well as the anthropological type/genetic status of the buried woman. Using complex research methods (molecular-genetic, mineralogical, X-ray, technological, traceological analyses, methods of age-sex diagnostics, craniology, multidimensional analysis of principal components and search for archaeological analogies) ensured the authenticity of determining manufacturing techniques and anthropological studies as well as modern ideas about the cultural and chronological interpretation of the presented archaeological materials. A study of horse harness items abd typological attribution of arrowheads and beads made it possible to date the burial within the middle — third quarter of the 4th century BC. The context of items in the burial, the stylistics of their forms and structure convincingly showed that certain items were not used in everyday/social life, but rather served as some sacred attributes used in religious ceremonies and ritual practices only. A search for analogies to the iconography and images from these relics made it possible to clarify the compositional semantics and suggested their purpose in sacred scenarios. The anthropological type distinctive features and genetic structures, as well as the presence of traces of deliberate artificial deformation of the skull, confirm the local, South Ural, origin of the woman.