FEATURE/Spectacular Discovery of Sacrificed Horses Reported by Archaeology Magazine.NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE FEATURES)--Dec. 17, 1999-- A dozen horses sacrificed 2,500 years ago in full-dress regalia have been recovered frozen in a Scythian kurgan Kurgan (k  rgän`), city (1989 pop. 356,000), capital of Kurgan region, W Siberian Russia, on the Tobol River. , or tumulus tumulus (t`myələs), plural tumuli (–lī), in archaeology, a heap of earth or stones placed over a grave. , near the village of Berel' in Kazakhstan's Bukhtarma Valley, it is reported in an exclusive story entitled "Equus on Ice" in the January/February issue of Archaeology Magazine. "A discovery like this occurs perhaps twice in a century," states Henri-Paul Francfort Henri-Paul Francfort is a French archaeologist and member ("directeur de recherches") of the CNRS. He is noted for his excavations at Shortugai. Publications Russian Altay Chinese Altay Shan Mongol Altayn Nuruu Mountain system, Central Asia. The range extends about 1,200 mi (2,000 km) in a southeast-northwest direction from the Gobi Desert to the West Siberian Plain, through parts of has yielded such a massive sacrifice of horses with all their equipment and finery in place." The horses were found buried side by side on a bed of birch bark next to a funeral chamber containing the pillaged pil·lage v. pil·laged, pil·lag·ing, pil·lag·es v.tr. 1. To rob of goods by force, especially in time of war; plunder. 2. To take as spoils. v.intr. burial of two Scythian nobles. The horses appear to have been undisturbed. The wooded cheek pieces of their harnesses are carved with animal figures, while their saddles are decorated with gold leaf, leather, and felt and rested on red saddle blankets. Each horse appears to have worn ornaments relating to an animal commonly represented in Scythian art. Ibex horns, fashioned out of wood, were discovered near one horse and appear to have been worn on its head, while a griffin sculpture with leather horns was recovered near another pair of false horns. The Altai Mountains are famous for frigid temperatures that aid in the preservation of various bodies; ice rapidly imprisons burials, preventing decomposition. As the excavation of the sacrificed horses progressed last summer, rising temperatures threatened to melt and decompose de·com·pose v. de·com·posed, de·com·pos·ing, de·com·pos·es v.tr. 1. To separate into components or basic elements. 2. To cause to rot. v.intr. 1. the remains of the frozen horses, which had to be rushed into a freezer truck. "We had to cut out the blocks of ice without taking the time to examine the discoveries," states Francfort. "All we had time to do was identify the remains, cut them out, and pack them up." At a laboratory in Almaty, the Kazakh capital, Francfort's team - from the French Archaeological Mission to Central Asia, Italy's Ligabue Research Center, and the Institute of Archaeology The Institute of Archaeology is an academic department of University College London (UCL), in the United Kingdom. The Institute is located in a separate building at the north end of Gordon Square, Bloomsbury. Margulan of Kazakhstan - is conducting a minute excavation of the frozen blocks while specialists perform biomolecular tests on the human and animal remains. Archaeology plans to publish an expanded report on the ongoing research in a future issue. Archaeology Magazine, published for 52 years by the Archaeological Institute of America The Archaeological Institute of America (AIA) is a North American nonprofit organization devoted to the promotion of public interest in archaeology, and the preservation of archaeological sites. It is based at Boston University. (AIA AIA - Application Integration Architecture ), is dedicated to bringing the excitement of worldwide archaeological discovery to the public. The AIA also publishes Archaeology's DIG, a new archaeology magazine for kids. Additional information on Archaeology Magazine is available at www.archaeology.org. Additional information on Archaeology's DIG is available at www.archaeology.dig.org. Editor's Note: "Equus on Ice" has been posted to Archaeology's Web site at www.archaeology.org. |
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