Sosnovyi Mys Burial Ground in the Northern Angara Region: Analysis of the Mortuary Tradition and the Results of Radiocarbon Dating

The article presents the results of the study of 8 burial complexes of the Sosnovyi Mys burial ground. The article contains all the information about the history of the discovery and study of this archaeological site. We describe the geographical location and geomorphological structure of the burial ground deposits and give a complete description of the burial complexes No. 1–8 (excavation # 1, archaeological works of 2011). The analysis of individual elements of the mortuary tradition is carried out. Some similarities and differences with synchronous burials on the territory of the Southern Angara region have been revealed. All burials were divided into three groups based on the analysis of the mortuary tradition elements: 1) burials # 2, 4, 5, 7, 8; 2) burial # 3; 3) destroyed burials # 1 and 6. Published in the article radiocarbon dating results showed the Neolithic age of most burial complexes. The exception is burial No. 3, which belongs to the Early Bronze Age. Analyzing the radiocarbon AMS dates, we can state the high ratio of stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes (δ13Candδ15C) obtained for a human bone sample. These data indicate a high trophic level of the humans, which points out the presence of a freshwater reservoir effect (FRE). A special study of this problem has not been conducted yet for the Northern Angara Region, so it is not possible to determine the radiocarbon offsets. The complexes of the Sosnovyi Mys burial ground may be synchronous with the late phase of the Kitoi burial tradition (the finale of the Early Neolithic). However, if the value of the correction for the FRE is ever calculated and turns out to be the same as in the Baikal region (or more significant), then the age of the burials may be determined by the beginning of the Middle Neolithic, which is determined by the period7027±33–5571±88cal BP. The search for analogies to the features of the mortuary tradition and categories of grave goods with the materials of the Southern Angara region is carried out. The main problem of further study of the burial ground materials is the determination of the correction value of the FRE based on the dating of human bones, as well as finds and individual animal bones directly related to the burial complexes for the entire territory of the Northern Angara region.