Excavations of the Alypkash burial ground in the Middle Ishim region

The Petropavlovsk detachment of the North Kazakhstan Archaeological Expedition with the North Kazakhstan Society for the Protection of Cultural Monuments of the Kazakh SSR, and the Regional Museum of Creed Studies excavated the Alypkash burial ground.

The monument is located on the right bank of the Ishim River, in the zone of the Sergeev reservoir, and consists of approximately 50 structures. 14 earth mounds, four mounds with stone rings and one ring-fence were unearthed. The diameter of the mounds is from 8 to 12 m, the height is 0.35-0.5 m. The fences consist of large slate blocks laid on buried soil. The height of the fences is 0.3 - 0.4 m.

Inside each tomb structure there were one or two, less often three grave pits. All of them are unpaved, with sheer walls; a characteristic feature of the graves is ledges, which suggest wooden ceilings. Traces of overlaps were traced in eight pits. The width of the graves is 1.5-2 m, the length is 1.3-1.6 m, the depth is 1.1-1.4 m. They are oriented from northwest to southeast and from northeast to southwest. A distinctive feature of the Alypkash burial ground is the presence of both inhumations and cremations. Of the 34 opened graves, 13 burials were made according to the rite of burial, in 10 - according to the cremation rite. No remains were found in the rest of the burial pits. In three cases, it was possible to determine the position of the buried and their orientation: on the left side, crouched, head to the west.

The buried were accompanied by one or two, rarely three vessels. In some burial mounds, vessels were found in the mound or in small depressions on the ancient surface. The clothing material of the burial ground is represented by a bronze bracelet, temporal rings, chased round sewn-on plaques with an ornament of concentric circles, piercings, gold, paste, and bronze beads. Ceramics predominated. These are pots of elongated proportions with a smooth profile, ornamented with lush ornaments: meander, zigzags, triangles. The complex contains pronounced Fedorovo vessels and several Alakul pots. But the bulk of the ceramics constitutes a peculiar group with Fedorovo-Alakul features and adjoins the Bishkul-type ware, which is typical for the monuments of Northern Kazakhstan.