Tasmola Culture

an archaeological culture dating from the early Iron Age that was widespread mainly in Central Kazakhstan. It was named after the site of Tasmola in Kuibyshev Raion, Pavlodar Oblast, where a burial ground typical of this culture was excavated.

The burial structures of the Tasmola culture generally consisted of a large mound and an adjoining small one. From these mounds, arched stone ridges 20–200 m and more in length extended to the east. The large mound contained an inhumation, in an oval burial pit covered with stone slabs; the corpse’s head was positioned toward the north. Pottery and a horse’s skeleton were generally found under the small mound. In the early mounds, dating from the seventh and sixth centuries B.C., the heads of horses and sheep were placed at the feet of the deceased.

Finds from the Tasmola culture included bronze arrowheads, both socketed with two edges and shouldered with three edges; daggers with butterfly-shaped crossguards; and stirrup-shaped bits. Finds from the later period, dating from the fifth to the third century B.C., included bronze socketed three-edged arrowheads and ring-shaped bits. The tribes of the Tasmola culture were nomadic stock raisers who had a highly developed technique for working bone and metal. The animal style was typical of their applied arts.