2,400-Year-Old Sacrificial Complex Unearthed in Russia Is Richest Known of Its Kind

Rich Sacrificial Complex Discovered at Vysokaya Mogila

Archaeologists from the Institute of Archaeology of the Russian Academy of Sciences have uncovered an exceptionally rich sacrificial complex between burial mounds at Vysokaya Mogila in the southern Ural Mountains. The necropolis — a string of high-status burial mounds stretching roughly 3.7 miles (6 km) — was in use during the 4th–3rd centuries B.C. and has yielded finds both inside and outside the mounds.

Hundreds of Objects Reveal Horse-Focused Rituals

During excavations this past summer, dig leaders reported more than 100 objects and over 500 bronze beads recovered from caches between two mounds. The most significant assemblage was a "rich sacrificial complex" hidden in a shallow, round pit just west of one mound. That deposit contained hundreds of horse-related items: bronze browbands, cheekpieces and iron bits that together represent at least a dozen bridles.

Decorative fittings included flat round metal ornaments depicting birds, mythical animals, geometric motifs and human faces. Other notable finds were a gold appliqué showing a tiger’s head and forepaw, fragments of a bronze ladle and cauldron, and a wooden bowl inlaid with silver overlays bearing animal motifs.

Evidence of a Sacrificial Ceremony

The presence of boar jaws arranged within the pit and the silver-lined wooden bowl strongly suggest these items were part of a funerary or sacrificial ritual. The archaeologists interpret the assemblage as evidence that nomadic nobles returned repeatedly to the spaces between mounds to carry out post-burial ceremonies rather than using the site solely for interment.

Origins and Significance

Researchers note that many of the objects appear to have been imported from the northern Caucasus and northern Black Sea regions. The variety, craftsmanship and origins of the artifacts make this the richest sacrificial complex of its type yet discovered in the region, shedding new light on long-range contacts and the ritual life of nomadic elites in the southern Urals about 2,400 years ago.

Dig Leader: Archaeologist Sergey Sirotin is among the researchers reporting on these discoveries.

Implication: The finds expand our understanding of funerary practice among Iron Age steppe nomads, emphasizing the ceremonial reuse of cemetery landscapes and the central role of horses and imported prestige objects in elite ritual behavior.