Tsaram: A Burial Ground of the Hsiung-nu Elite in Transbaikalia

Tsaram: A Burial Ground of the Hsiung-nu Elite in Transbaikalia

S.S. Minyaev.

From 1998–2005, the Transbaikal Archaeological Expedition from the St. Petersburg Institute for the History of Material Culture excavated a burial ground of the Asian Hun (Hsiung-nu) elite at Tsaram, Kyakhta Region, Buryatia. The complex included a central mound (the largest in Russia and one of the largest worldwide) and ten accompanying burials with human sacrifi ces. An account of the excavations of the central mound is provided, including the layout of the mound and the inner funerary construction. Burial goods found in the outer and inner corridors of the burial chamber are described with detailed illustrations.

Keywords: Archaeology, Huns, Hsiung-nu, Central Asia, elite burials, Transbaikalia, Tsaram.