4 May 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

A Female Elite Tomb in a Yellow Silk Cloak from the Pre-Mongolian Period Discovered in Mongolia

A recent archaeological excavation in Mongolia’s Dornod Province revealed an elite tomb embedded in the walls of an abandoned fortress dating to the post-Kitan and pre-Mongolian periods.

As a component of the Mongolian-Israeli-American Archaeological Project, this discovery provides an intriguing look into the social structure, trade networks, and funerary customs of the era. It also has the potential to completely reshape our understanding of the political and cultural changes that occurred in the Mongolian steppe in the 12th and 13th centuries.

Once, the vast Kitan-Liao Empire (916–1125 CE) ruled over much of what is now central and eastern Mongolia. Following its fall, the Mongolian Empire and the legendary Chinggis Khan gained prominence by 1206 CE.

The Mongol-Israeli-American Archaeological Project has surveyed and excavated along Kitan frontier ‘long-walls’ in the northeast of Mongolia since 2018.

This grave, whose analysis indicates that it probably predates the fortress’s use, offers valuable insights into the networks and organization of the local communities in the 12th century CE.

A plan of the tomb excavated in Khar Nuur. Image: Amartuvshin Chunag et al.
A plan of the tomb excavated in Khar Nuur. Image: Amartuvshin Chunag et al.

 The discovery of this tomb was at a location within the ancient fortified complex of Khar Nuur known as “Cluster 27.” The complex is situated close to Mongolia’s northeastern border, a strategically significant area that was once a Khitan Empire stronghold and is well-known for its vast network of walls and fortifications. What makes this find particularly interesting is that the tomb appears to have been built after the fort was abandoned, implying that the space was reused during a period of political transition.

Situated roughly 1.4 km west of Lake Khar Nuur, the site is home to a sizable circular structure with a smaller rectangular enclosure inside. Archaeologists found a well-preserved tomb inside the enclosure’s outer wall that dates to between 1158 and 1214 AD. The skeleton of an adult woman, possibly between the ages of 40 and 60, wearing a yellow silk cloak and embellished with priceless items, was found inside a wooden coffin within the tomb.

She likely belonged to the elite, as evidenced by the golden earrings, silver cup, bronze vessel, gold bracelet, and coral and glass beads found within her grave, among other grave goods.

How these objects may have facilitated her in the afterlife is unknown. Professor Shelach-Lavi, an archaeologist working on the project, explains,  “We really do not know much about specific ideas. We know that the belief in the Sky (Tengri) already existed in Mongolia and that Shamanism was also practiced, but we cannot connect those broad ideas to the specific artifacts and practices seen in the grave.”

Remains of a decorated bronze container. Image: Amartuvshin Chunag et al.
Remains of a decorated bronze container. Image: Amartuvshin Chunag et al.

A small bronze cup with geometric figures and finely engraved lines is one of the most remarkable discoveries. It differs significantly from other medieval artifacts discovered in Mongolia, indicating that it may be a one-of-a-kind item or have some connection to an unidentified craft tradition. Furthermore, pieces of a leather-coated, bronze-framed wooden objects were discovered. Its purpose is unknown, but it may have been a quiver or a case for a bow and arrows, common objects interred with male elites during the Mongol imperial era.

An additional noteworthy relic is a silver cup that was originally roughly 17 cm in diameter but has been broken into 26 pieces. The cup, which has incised motifs and gilded strips, doesn’t seem to have a direct counterpart, though comparable objects have been discovered in tombs from the medieval Mongol era.

Many of the artifacts were not native to the area. For example, the silk was probably made in southern China, and the wood was probably taken from birch, mulberry, and/or larch trees, which are 150–300 km away.

Remains of a bird bark object, probably the helmet that belongs to a woman. Image: Amartuvshin Chunag et al.
Remains of a bird bark object, probably the helmet that belongs to a woman. Image: Amartuvshin Chunag et al.

The fact that an elite member was buried at a border site that had been abandoned implies that the ancient Khitan fortifications were not just military strongholds but also sites with lasting cultural and symbolic significance that persisted long after the empire fell. Combining local elements with opulent pieces like gold and silver ornaments depicts a society in transition, shaped by the cultural influences of neighboring civilizations as well as its own nomadic traditions.

The results of their research were published in Archaeological Research in Asia.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ara.2024.100537

Cover ımage: The place of the discovery in the northeast of Mongolia. Photo: Amartuvshin Chunag et al.

Related Articles

Staging of religion on rock paintings that are thousands of years old in southern Egypt desert

10 May 2023

10 May 2023

Egyptologists at the University of Bonn and the University of Aswan want to systematically record hundreds of petroglyphs and inscriptions...

3600 years old Unique ancient drinking bowls on display at Boğazkale Museum

15 August 2021

15 August 2021

The 3,600-year-old fist-shaped drinking bowls found in excavations in Hattusa, the capital of the Hittite Civilization, which shaped the Anatolian...

1,400-year-old temple from the time of the East Anglian Kings discovered at Suffolk royal settlement

21 November 2023

21 November 2023

Archaeologists have uncovered a possibly pre-Christian temple from the time of the East Anglian Kings at Rendlesham, near Sutton Hoo...

Ancient Murals of Two-faced Figures Found in Peru

21 March 2023

21 March 2023

Archaeologists are reporting a number of fascinating discoveries as work on the excavations at Pañamarca progresses that are helping to...

Archaeologists unearthed a pot of copper coins in first major discovery at Mohenjo Daro in Pakistan, in 93 years

18 November 2023

18 November 2023

A pot full of copper coins was discovered from a stupa (a dome-shaped building erected as a Buddhist shrine) at...

A rare 6,000-year-old elephant ivory vessel was unearthed near Beersheba

9 April 2024

9 April 2024

A recent excavation near Beersheba in southern Israel uncovered an ivory vessel crafted of elephant tusks dating to the Chalcolithic...

Tomb of an Urartian buried with his dog, cattle, sheep, and 4 horses unearthed

6 September 2021

6 September 2021

In ancient times, the dead were buried with their living and non-living things. The offerings placed as dead gifts varied...

Archaeologists discovered on Tunisian coast three shipwrecks, one of which 2,000 years old

8 June 2023

8 June 2023

A team of archaeologists from eight countries—Algeria, Croatia, Egypt, France, Italy, Morocco, Spain, and Tunisia bordering the Mediterranean Sea has...

Ancient Synagogue found in Turkey’s popular tourist center Side

27 December 2021

27 December 2021

A 7th-century ancient synagogue has been found in Side, a resort town on Turkey’s Mediterranean coast. The synagogue found was...

In Lowbury Hill Mystery of Anglo-Saxons buried 1,400 years ago may soon be solved

8 March 2023

8 March 2023

The mystery surrounding the remains of two Anglo-Saxons buried 1,400 years ago in south Oxfordshire, identified as a man and...

International Sand Sculpture Festival Opens with the Theme “The Lost City of Atlantis”

6 May 2021

6 May 2021

The 16th edition of the International Sand Sculpture Festival (SANDLAND) has begun in Turkey’s Mediterranean resort city of Antalya. Every...

Dingoes were regarded as “almost human” in pre-colonial Australia

21 October 2023

21 October 2023

When it comes to Australia’s wild dingoes, the phrase “a dog is a man’s best friend” takes on new meaning....

Oldest known arrowheads uncovered in the Americas

24 December 2022

24 December 2022

Archaeologists from Oregon State University have discovered projectile points in Idaho that are thousands of years older than any that...

Unexpected Origins of Mysterious Mummies Buried in Boats in a Chinese Desert

17 February 2024

17 February 2024

In 1990, hundreds of mummified bodies were found buried in boats in an inhospitable desert area in the Xinjiang Uyghur...

The Oldest Evidence of Stone Blade Production in Southern Arabia: 80,000-Year-Old Stone Blades Discovered

21 February 2025

21 February 2025

An international team of researchers led by Knut Bretzke of Friedrich Schiller University Jena uncovered 80,000-year-old stone blades at the...