Just last week, archaeologists in Mongolia unearthed one of the greatest hidden artifacts to date.
They dug up a female mummy and her belongings deep in the Altai Mountains, whose vast range spans across China, Mongolia, and Russia.
The discovery came as quite a shock, since Turkic grave burials are extremely rare, and are even considered a phenomenon.
The 1,500-year-old mummy was buried with a host of belongings, including cookware, clothes, bags, animal bones, and the remains of an entire horse, which was likely buried alongside the corpse as a sacrificial tribute.
Though perhaps not as extravagant as some other world-famous tomb discoveries, the unearthing in the Mongolian mountains gives researchers and archaeologists hope that they will excavate more of these burial sites in the near future.
Scroll further to see this incredibly preserved mummy, and let us know your thoughts in the comments down below!
[H/T: The Siberian Times]
Last week, archaeologists in Mongolia unearthed a terrifically preserved mummy in the Altai Mountains.
The mummy and other artifacts are estimated to be over 1,500 years old.
She is thought by experts to be the first mummy ever found to be part of a complete Turkic burial in Central Asia.
Researchers at the Khovd Museum in Mongolia (whose team examined the excavation) observed that the mummy was likely a woman.
“This person was not from [the] elite, and we believe it was likely a woman, because there is no bow in the tomb,” they say.
The archaeologists uncovered many intriguing objects alongside the mummy’s remains.
There was a saddle, a bridle, a clay vase, a wooden bowl, an iron kettle, a trough, four pieces of cotton clothing, and even the remains of an entire horse.
A most startling feature of the mummy are her feet — and, in particular, her shoes.
Many have likened these shoes to modern shoes, because of their distinctive pattern.
They also uncovered pillows, a sheep’s head, a felt travel bag, goat bones, and even more astounding artifacts.
Archaeologists and researchers involved in the discovery continue to stress the incredibly rare nature of the burial, and the great insight it has given us into the rituals of the Turkic people.
The mare, it appears, was buried next to the woman as part of a sacrifice.
The woman was very likely a member of a civilization that occupied a vast region that stretched from Central Asia to Siberia.
The Turkic people were incredibly advanced: they had established their own alphabet and language systems, and conducted trade along the Silk Road.
Just two years ago, archaeologists had unearthed another such grave in the Altai Mountains, that of a Turkic warrior.
More research and excavations have to be conducted on Turkic burial and grave sites, which remain much of a mystery, and even a “rare phenomenon” in the archaeology world.
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