Kargala Treasure
Kargala Treasure
a burial of a woman (dating between the second century B.c. and the second century a.d.), possibly a female shaman, with a rich inventory. The burial was discovered in 1939 during earthworks in a gorge of the Kargala River near the city of Alma-Ata. About 300 gold objects were found, including rings, an earring, and small badges with relief designs. The most interesting item is a diadem in the form of a rectangular, openwork panel with a portrayal of a hunting scene; people and animals, including a fantastic dragon and winged horses, are set against a background of floral designs. The design of the headwear on the human figures, some of the depictions of animals, and the distinctive features of the jewelry-making technique testify to the local origin of the Kargala treasure’s articles.
REFERENCES
Bernshtam, A. N. “Zolotaia diadema iz shamanskogo pogrebeniia na r. Karagalinke.” In the collection Kratkie soobshcheniia o dokladakh i polevykh issledovaniiakh Instituía istorii materiaVnoi kuVtury, [issue] 5. Moscow-Leningrad, 1940.Bernshtam, A. N. Proshloe raiona Alma-Ata. Alma-Ata, 1948.