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<article article-type="research-article" dtd-version="1.3" xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xml:lang="en"><front><journal-meta><journal-id journal-id-type="publisher-id">nsc</journal-id><journal-title-group><journal-title xml:lang="en">Archaeology, Ethnology &amp; Anthropology of Eurasia</journal-title><trans-title-group xml:lang="ru"><trans-title>Археология, этнография и антропология Евразии</trans-title></trans-title-group></journal-title-group><issn pub-type="ppub">1563-0110</issn><publisher><publisher-name>IAET SB RAS</publisher-name></publisher></journal-meta><article-meta><article-id pub-id-type="doi">10.17746/1563-0110.2022.50.1.091-098</article-id><article-id custom-type="elpub" pub-id-type="custom">nsc-1393</article-id><article-categories><subj-group subj-group-type="heading"><subject>Research Article</subject></subj-group><subj-group subj-group-type="section-heading" xml:lang="en"><subject>THE METAL AGES AND MEDIEVAL PERIOD</subject></subj-group><subj-group subj-group-type="section-heading" xml:lang="ru"><subject>ЭПОХА ПАЛЕОМЕТАЛЛА</subject></subj-group></article-categories><title-group><article-title>A Group of Large Kurgans in the Suusamyr Valley, Kyrgyzstan</article-title><trans-title-group xml:lang="ru"><trans-title></trans-title></trans-title-group></title-group><contrib-group><contrib contrib-type="author" corresp="yes"><name-alternatives><name name-style="western" xml:lang="en"><surname>Akmatov</surname><given-names>K. T.</given-names></name></name-alternatives><bio xml:lang="en"><p>Chyngyz Aitmatov pr. 56, Bishkek, 720038, Kyrgyz Republic</p></bio><email xlink:type="simple">kunbolot.akmatov@manas.edu.kg</email><xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff-1"/></contrib><contrib contrib-type="author" corresp="yes"><name-alternatives><name name-style="western" xml:lang="en"><surname>Tabaldiev</surname><given-names>K. S.</given-names></name></name-alternatives><bio xml:lang="en"><p>Chyngyz Aitmatov pr. 56, Bishkek, 720038, Kyrgyz Republic</p></bio><email xlink:type="simple">kubatbek.tabaldiev@manas.edu.kg</email><xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff-1"/></contrib><contrib contrib-type="author" corresp="yes"><name-alternatives><name name-style="western" xml:lang="en"><surname>Bălărie</surname><given-names>A.</given-names></name></name-alternatives><bio xml:lang="en"><p>Bastionul Maria Theresia, Martin Luther 4, Timișoara, 300223, Romania</p></bio><email xlink:type="simple">andrei.balarie@gmail.com</email><xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff-2"/></contrib><contrib contrib-type="author" corresp="yes"><name-alternatives><name name-style="western" xml:lang="en"><surname>Sărășan</surname><given-names>A.</given-names></name></name-alternatives><bio xml:lang="en"><p>Bastionul Maria Theresia, Martin Luther 4, Timișoara, 300223, Romania</p></bio><email xlink:type="simple">adriana.sarasan@gmail.com</email><xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff-2"/></contrib><contrib contrib-type="author" corresp="yes"><name-alternatives><name name-style="western" xml:lang="en"><surname>Ardelean</surname><given-names>A.-C.</given-names></name></name-alternatives><bio xml:lang="en"><p>Bastionul Maria Theresia, Martin Luther 4, Timișoara, 300223, Romania</p></bio><email xlink:type="simple">adrian.ardelean86@e-uvt.ro</email><xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff-2"/></contrib></contrib-group><aff xml:lang="en" id="aff-1"><institution>Kyrgyz-Turkish Manas University</institution><country>Kyrgyzstan</country></aff><aff xml:lang="en" id="aff-2"><institution>National Museum of Banat</institution><country>Romania</country></aff><pub-date pub-type="collection"><year>2022</year></pub-date><pub-date pub-type="epub"><day>03</day><month>04</month><year>2022</year></pub-date><volume>50</volume><issue>1</issue><fpage>91</fpage><lpage>98</lpage><permissions><copyright-statement>Copyright &amp;#x00A9; Akmatov K.T., Tabaldiev K.S., Bălărie A., Sărășan A., Ardelean A., 2022</copyright-statement><copyright-year>2022</copyright-year><copyright-holder xml:lang="ru">Akmatov K.T., Tabaldiev K.S., Bălărie A., Sărășan A., Ardelean A.</copyright-holder><copyright-holder xml:lang="en">Akmatov K.T., Tabaldiev K.S., Bălărie A., Sărășan A., Ardelean A.</copyright-holder><license xml:lang="ru" license-type="creative-commons-attribution" xlink:href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/" xlink:type="simple"><license-p>Данная работа распространяется под лицензией Creative Commons Attribution 4.0.</license-p></license><license xml:lang="en" license-type="creative-commons-attribution" xlink:href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/" xlink:type="simple"><license-p>This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.</license-p></license></permissions><self-uri xlink:href="https://journal.archaeology.nsc.ru/jour/article/view/1393">https://journal.archaeology.nsc.ru/jour/article/view/1393</self-uri><abstract><p>We introduce recently discovered large kurgans of the Saka period in the Suusamyr valley, northern Kyrgyzstan. There are two cemeteries with large mounds, each of which is surrounded by ditches, stone enclosures, and ramparts. Apparently, each kurgan and the constructions around it form a whole burial complex. The kurgans are rounded in plan view, 30–73 m in diameter. Some were possibly square in plan view. West of them, there is a line of enclosures, most of which consist of eight boulders. In terms of nature and form of the constructions around kurgans, the burial complexes fall into six types, each of which is described in detail. Parallels are found among Early Iron Age cemeteries in the Tian Shan, Semirechye, central and eastern Kazakhstan. Common and distinctive features of the Suusamyr group are listed. On the basis of the comparative analysis, the group dates to 800/700–200 BC. We conclude that the kurgans were destined for the Saka elite, and were constructed over several generations. The materials of the study allow us to state that the alpine Suusamyr valley, which is hard to access, was a key political and/or cult center of the Tian Shan in the Saka period.</p></abstract><kwd-group xml:lang="en"><kwd>Tian Shan</kwd><kwd>Suusamyr valley</kwd><kwd>Early Iron Age</kwd><kwd>large kurgans</kwd><kwd>eight-stone enclosures</kwd></kwd-group></article-meta></front><back><ref-list><title>References</title><ref id="cit1"><label>1</label><citation-alternatives><mixed-citation xml:lang="ru">Akishev K.A., Kushaev G.A. 1963 Drevnyaya kultura sakov i usunei doliny reki Ili. Alma-Ata: Izd. AN KazSSR.</mixed-citation><mixed-citation xml:lang="en">Akishev K.A., Kushaev G.A. 1963 Drevnyaya kultura sakov i usunei doliny reki Ili. Alma-Ata: Izd. 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