Medieval Burials at Ryabchikov Klyuch-1, the Kansk-Rybinsk Basin
Medieval Burials at Ryabchikov Klyuch-1, the Kansk-Rybinsk Basin
doi:10.17746/1563-0110.2022.50.3.092-102
A.V. Vybornov1, S.G. Skobelev2, E.A. Alekseeva3, A.N. Bagashev4, S.M. Slepchenko3, and I.A. Grachev5 1Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography, Siberian Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Pr. Akademika Lavrentieva 17, Novosibirsk, 630090, Russia 2Novosibirsk State University, Pirogova 1, Novosibirsk, 630090, Russia 3Institute of Northern Development, Tyumen Scientific Center, Siberian Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Chervishevsky trakt 13, Tyumen, 625008, Russia 4Tyumen Scientific Center, Siberian Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Malygina 86, Tyumen, 625026, Russia 5Peter the Great Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography (Kunstkamera), Russian Academy of Sciences, Universitetskaya nab. 3, St. Petersburg, 199034, Russia
Previously, burials at Ryabchikov Klyuch-1 on the Kan River near Kansk were dated to the Late Middle Ages (pre-Russian period) and attributed to an autochthonous group. In 2015, two burials were discovered at the cemetery, with the remains of an adolescent girl and a child. A comprehensive analysis of the burial rite and grave goods suggests that the burials date to the 12th century. Numerous archaeological and ethnographic parallels were found. Morphologically, the girl’s cranium reveals generally eastern traits, specifically those common in Western Siberian (Uralic and Ob-Irtysh) populations. The cranium was restored, and a graphical reconstruction of the face was made. Burial practices of the 17th-19th century Middle Kan populations are described. They were Ket-speaking Kotts, Turkic-speaking Karagas, and Samoyed-speaking Kamasins. The analysis of sources suggests that the buried people were likely ancestors of the Kotts.
Keywords: Siberia, Middle Yenisei, Kansk-Rybinsk basin, Kan River, Middle Ages, flat graves, Kets
