Early medieval burials of nomads in the Ile valley
Archaeological studies of three mounds of the early Middle Ages, located near the village of Samsy, 80 km west of Almaty (Zhambyl district, Almaty region) were conducted in 2019 by Scientific and Experimental Practical Archeology "SEPA" LLP. Plundered catacomb burials with a horse were found in kurgans 1 and 3. In the second kurgan, three burials were found under one mound. In the first undercut grave, an undisturbed burial item was found, consisting of a massive cast bronxe ring with black stone, a bronze mirror with concentric circles, and a pendant made of white translucent agate. In all three burials, anatomically intact skeletons were cleared, with their heads oriented to the west-northwest. The findings and the nature of the burial custom allow the kurgans to be tentatively dated to the 8th-9th centuries.