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Unearthing a Scythian Tomb


Archaeologists excavate in squares to gather stratigraphic information (a recording of the sequence of layers). Crawler-mounted vehicles are the most efficient way to get through the thawing mud of the Siberian swamps. Uncovering a skeleton by scraping away layers of mud. The groundwater makes the excavation and meticulous documentation of artifacts and human remains a difficult task. The daily journey from our camp to the dig site. Volunteers enjoying a lunchtime smoke break in the tank crawler vehicle. Excavating in a swamp is a more grueling task than in an arid region. Instead of brushing rocks, there’s a good dealing of shoveling and transporting mud. The Siberian Valley of the Kings harbors one of the largest accumulations of monumental burial mounds in the Eurasian steppes. Lead archaeologist Gino Caspari cleaning a trench for documentation. Caspari discovered the burial mound using satellite imagery. Physical anthropologists work alongside archaeologists to reconstruct skeletons and skulls. The physical characteristics of the intact remains can shed light on their culture. Archaeology is a process of uncovering layers. After documenting the surface rock layer, we removed stones to reveal the decayed wooden beams below that divided the chambers of the ancient tomb. Rebuilding the log bridge that floated away in the flash flooding following a violent storm. The weather in the valley is notoriously volatile. Transporting water to our remote campsite from a source in the northern range of the nearby mountains. When it was raining hard, we took shelter in a yurt with a wood-burning stove. Drones have made documentation of archaeological excavations fast and efficient. The device on the right is a “total station,” which plots GPS coordinates to accurately map the site. A UAZ-452, a common Soviet-era vehicle that resembles a VW bus, was used to transport food and water to our camp.

In 2018, I spent three weeks in the “Valley of the Tsars” in the Tuva Republic, a region of southern Siberia, camping with several dozen Russian archaeologists, anthropologists, and volunteers. Each day we boarded a Soviet tank crawler that brought us from our makeshift camp, through a deep, mosquito-infested swamp, to the site of an archaeological excavation. I served as both a volunteer—carrying rocks, shoveling mud—and photographer. The following photos document the excavation during the summer months. They are intended as stills to accompany the forthcoming docu-series by filmmakers Trevor Wallace and Gino Caspari, titled Frozen Corpses, Golden Treasure. (Gino is also the lead archaeologist and discoverer of the site.)

The team was excavating an ancient Scythian burial mound, or “kurgan.” The Scythians were a nomadic culture that thrived on the Eurasian steppe from roughly 900 to 300 BCE. They produced astoundingly meticulous goldwork and weaponry, and were known for their ferocity as horselord warriors. (The fictional “Dothraki” people from Game of Thrones are loosely based on the Scythians.)

The kurgan, named “Tunnug,” is the largest and oldest discovered Scythian site, and its excavation is of particular scientific urgency, due to the twin threats of climate change and rampant looting.

The warming climate is melting the once-ubiquitous permafrost, thawing organic materials (including ice mummies) that can provide invaluable insight into the Scythian culture. Furthermore, looters—in search of gold—destroy the sites, and with them, the knowledge of the culture that produced them. It’s estimated that 95% of Scythian kurgans have been looted.

With so-called “material cultures” like the Scythians, who had no written language as far as we know, the in situ documentation of skeletons, mummies, and artifacts, using careful archaeological methodology—including drone photography to record the various strata and construct 3D models—is imperative to glean accurate knowledge about their culture.

Excavating in a swamp is a more grueling task than in an arid region. Archaeology is a process of uncovering and documenting layers. For our team this entailed, rather than brushing rocks, a good deal of shoveling, scraping, and transporting mud.

The weather in the valley is notoriously volatile. When it wasn’t too wet, we were out at the site working. Sometimes we drove around on a UAZ 452 (a soviet vehicle that resembles a VW bus) to gather food and supplies from the nearest town, and just for joyrides. When it was raining hard, we took shelter in a yurt with a wood-burning stove.

Due to the difficult conditions for excavation, the massive size of the tomb, precarious funding from the Russian government, and the narrow weather window—excavation is only possible June through October, to avoid the freezing Siberian winter—a good deal of work still remains. It will be at least several more years before the central chamber, and all the artifacts, human remains, and cultural knowledge contained therein, will be uncovered.


Archaeologists excavate in squares to gather stratigraphic information (a recording of the sequence of layers). Crawler-mounted vehicles are the most efficient way to get through the thawing mud of the Siberian swamps. Uncovering a skeleton by scraping away layers of mud. The groundwater makes the excavation and meticulous documentation of artifacts and human remains a difficult task. Excavating in a swamp is a more grueling task than in an arid region. Instead of brushing rocks, there’s a good dealing of shoveling and transporting mud. Rebuilding the log bridge that floated away in the flash flooding following a violent storm. The weather in the valley is notoriously volatile. The Siberian Valley of the Kings harbors one of the largest accumulations of monumental burial mounds in the Eurasian steppes. A UAZ-452, a common Soviet-era vehicle that resembles a VW bus, was used to transport food and water to our camp.

Mark
Mark