Child burials at the funeral and memorial site Khuzhur 4 (Olkhon region)

During the 2013 archaeological excavations in the Olkhon region, on the southwestern shore of the Maloye More Strait in Lake Baikal, several artificial stone structures were discovered. They were located in the northern part of the funeral site Khuzhur 4 funeraral site. Most of them (four child burials and eight memorial structures) date back to the 19th century. Two types of structures were found: the ground-based type was in the form of quadrangular stone boxes attached to the rock outcrop in the southeast (Khagun type) (complex 3), and the ground one covered with a round or oval construction (Kurkut type) (complexes 5, 13 and 15). At complexes 13 and 15, there were fragments of wooden poles covering the pit. The buried were placed on their backs with their heads towards the north-east. Accompanying items were found only in the burial of a 7-8-year-old girl (complex 3). Beads, one ring and one chain were found in her grave. In other burials, there were no items. The child burial ground was built by Khuzhur-Nogui inhabitants, who belonged to the Shono Ekhirit family. Like representatives of other Buryat clans, they buried their dead to the north of their settlements, on hillsides, orienting their heads to the north - northeast, towards the “land of the dead”. Separate child burials and no accompanying items in most of them indicate a special role of children in society.

Olkhon region, funeral and memorial complex, child burials, tombstone structure, remains of the buried, accompanying inventory, soul, afterlife, funeral rite, Buryats, Ekhirites

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