In recent decades, there has been a significant increase at the number of studies aimed at the research into archaeological sites dating back to the period of active development of Siberian territories by Russian explorers. The indication of this process is the commenced Christianization of local indigenous population. The study of the burial objects of the Late Medieval and Modern Times allowed assembling representative collections of staurographic materials. The items retrieved during the study of the Num-hibya-siheri VIa burial ground reflect specific features of the use of Christian symbols in the funeral rite. Therefore, this site is considered to be an early Christian monument left behind by indigenous population of the Taz Subarctic, formed under the influence of Christian ideas that spread in the region in the 18th — early 20th century. The Num-hibya-siheri VIa burial ground is located on the right bank of the Num-hibya-siheri creek on the territory of the Mameyev Cape stow, which is 12.5 km south-east of the village of Tazovsky and 2.4 km north-west of the village of Gaz-Sale of the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug, the Tyumen Oblast. In 2017–2018, Tazovsky Archaeological Expedition of the Institute of the Problems of Northern Development of the Tyumen Scientific Research Center (Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences) uncovered 286 m2 of the site. Within the studied area, nine underground pits were investigated, containing the burial of an adult (?) and children (8) aged from newborn infants up to 5- to 7-year-olds. The main components of the funeral rite and inventory testify to the familiarity of the people, who left this burial ground behind, with Christian customs and Christian ritualism. The deceased children are buried in wooden coffins placed inside composite wooden structures, on their backs, with their heads oriented to the western side of the horizon. The interred children are accompanied by an icon pendant with an image of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker and crosses dedicated to the Great Martyr Barbara and crucified Jesus. The features of the funeral rite and the placement of the articles indicate an initial stage of the Christianization of autochthonous population, combining both Christian and pagan components in the process of burying children. A good preservation of the wooden funerary structures allowed selection of wood samples for dendrochronological (tree-ring) analysis, as a result of which the time interval of the functioning of the Num-hibya-siheri VIa burial ground was determined within the second quarter of the 19th — early 20th century.

Keywords: Modern Times, the Taz Arctic, burial ground, burial, icon, pectoral cross, Christianization.

 

Funding. The work was carried within the framework of the state assignment of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation (No. FWRZ-2021-0006).

 

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Accepted: 30.05.2024

Article is published: 15.09.2024