Chinese archaeologists have discovered the remains of sacrificed horses and horse equipment during excavations at Tomb No. 1 (M1) and adjacent trenches and pits in the Jianjiapo burial site. This was reported by China Central Television, according to Adyrna National Portal, citing Kazinform.
The Jianjiapo burial site is located in the Narinker Kazakh village area of Hami City, China. It is considered the largest, most well-structured, and best-preserved burial site found in this region, dating back to the 3rd to 1st century BCE.
According to Xi Tongyuan, an associate professor at the Northwest University’s Institute of Cultural Heritage, archaeologists have excavated six pits in the southern part of the burial site where the remains of sacrificed animals were buried. They found at least 20 horse remains in each of four pits.
“The pits are large and have complex structures. In the middle row, there are two pits. The right pit contains the body of a horseman, while the left two-tiered platform revealed the remains of 20 sacrificed horses. Additionally, a significant number of gold, iron, and bone artifacts were found, which we believe represent the deceased’s life and status. In the eastern row, two pits were found containing 21 and 24 horse remains, respectively, but with very few horse harnesses, suggesting these were likely sacrifices made for the deceased,” said the archaeologist.
All the sacrificed horses were male and over 10 years old. The type and number of sacrificed animals appear to follow a certain order. Most of the burial items were horse harnesses. In some pits, human remains were found alongside those of horses or camels, likely representing servant-slaves who served the tomb’s owner in life.
Excavations at the burial site began in 2022. After three years of continuous research, archaeologists determined that the ancient burial site consisted of a main tomb, additional pits, temporary shelters, and a stone processing workshop.
Experts believe this discovery is significant for studying the unique burial rituals of ancient nomads in the Eastern Tianshan region.
