Discovered 5,000-year-old remains covered with ocher color in Siberia

In addition to being covered in ocher, the remains in two large graves in Serbia are unusually tall, suggesting they had migrated from elsewhere.

A team of scientists from the Institute of Archeology and Ethnology of the Polish Academy of Sciences (IAEPAN) discovered unusual remains in large burial mounds in northern Serbia, Ancient Origins reported on February 24.

Simulation of the burial chamber of an immigrant to Serbia thousands of years ago.

The dead man was strikingly tall and the bones were painted with a red dye made from clay. Based on extensive research, IAEPAN archaeologists determined that they died nearly 5,000 years ago and may have belonged to a group of people who migrated from the steppes of southern Russia and Ukraine to ancient Serbia.

The team focused on two prominent large burial mounds in the Vojvodina autonomous region. They are about 40 m in diameter, 3-4 m high. Inside each mound are two wooden burial chambers. When the first remains were buried around 3000 BC, the rooms were still quite small. 100 - 200 years later, when the second tomb was dug, their diameter and height increased significantly.

Although the rooms inside each mound were quite large, their design was basic. Funeral gifts are few, often indicating that the deceased was not rich or powerful.

"The graves that we discovered did not have much furniture. However, the red color of some of the bones is noticeable. It is because the ancients used ocher to cover the dead body," said Dr. Piotr Wlodarczak, lead researcher, said.

In addition, another special feature is the stature of the people buried in the grave. They were more than 1.8m tall, a height that in the Bronze Age few ordinary Europeans could achieve. The Polish team concluded that the cause could be that they came from another region.

"During the transition period between the 4th and 3rd millennia BC, people in this part of Europe were typically about 1.6 m tall. The use of ocher and the above-average height of the deceased for find them to be immigrants. The ritual of using ocher and placing the remains in a large mound is associated with communities living in the steppes of eastern Europe," said Dr. Wlodarczak.

Genetic analysis of remains unearthed from graves in Serbia has helped establish whether they were immigrants from the east, or descendants of people who moved from Ukraine or southern Russia.

The results of isotope analysis carried out on the bones also help reveal some information about the lifestyle of the deceased. For example, they eat a lot of meat. "We're not surprised that they consume large amounts of meat, as these communities all raise livestock," explains Dr Wlodarczak.

The deceased is most likely from the Yamnaya culture, according to Dr. Wlodarczak. A number of Yamnaya tombs found over the years contained weapons, elaborate ornaments, ceramic vases and other burial paraphernalia befitting a burial ground for the elite.

The Vojvodina burial mounds are the furthest western Yamnaya tombs ever discovered. Although the occupants may not appear to be of the upper class, they are respected and a proper funeral ceremony is held, decorated in the sacred red color that helps keep them safe as they cross the line to the next generation. the other side.