A late Turkic burial from the Western Altai (based on the excavations by M.P. Gryaznov at the Yakonur complex)

This article presents a cultural-chronological interpretation of archaeological materials recovered from mound No. 3, excavated by M.P. Gryaznov in 1939 at the Yakonur site. This multi-temporal burial and memorial complex is situ-ated near the eponymous village in the Ust-Kan District of the Altai Republic. The mound in question is a substantial structure containing two graves. Of these, burial 1 proved to be the most informative, featuring the remains of an individual interred alongside a horse. An analysis of the associated inventory (including ornaments and horse equipment) made it possible to date burial mound No. 3 to the period spanning the second half of the 9th century to the first half of the 10th century AD. The burial is attributed to the cultural tradition of the early medieval Turks. The revealed peculiarities in the funerary ritual suggest a possible decline in the traditional practices of the local commu-nity, potentially influenced by other nomadic groups. Furthermore, the materials of the Yakonur complex and the presence of contemporaneous burials conducted according to the cremation rite may indicate cultural interaction between the Turks and the Kyrgyz during the late 1st millennium AD. Additionally, it is plausible to hypothesize con-tacts between the population of the Western Altai and the bearers of the Srostki culture, as well as with the Kimeks.