Ancient people in the Tuvan Valley of the Kings. Along the national outskirts: the Valley of the Kings of Tuva. Along the mountain road
(modern), called “sacred”. Mention of it occurs in the Koran in the context of the story of the prophet (Moses).
Background
On the way to Egypt, one cold night, Prophet Musa and his family got lost. Musa tried to light a fire with his flint, but nothing worked. At that moment, when the darkness thickened and the cold intensified, he, thinking that there was a fire burning on the right slope of the mountain, headed in this direction. Musa set off with the intention of bringing a brand of fire and finding people who would tell him the right path. He approached the fire, which he saw from afar, and it turned out that in reality it was not fire, but light.
Prophet Musa in the Tuva Valley
In the Tuva valley, the Lord called Musa in a quiet voice. He told Musa that he was the Lord and ordered him to take off his sandals as a sign of respect for this blessed place.
According to some sources, Musa was ordered to take off his shoes because in order to receive the blessings of Allah, a believer, as a sign of the lowest submission, must touch the sacred ground only with bare feet. Other sources cite as an argument the following statement of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, which they characterize as trustworthy: “ His shoes were made of donkey skin (that is, they were not clean)» .
In the Tuva Valley, Musa learned that the Lord had chosen him as a messenger who should follow what was suggested to him: Verily, I am your Lord. Take off your shoes. Are you in sacred valley Tuva. I have chosen you, and therefore listen to what is revealed to you.. Here the prophet Musa received a command from the Lord to meet with the stubborn and despotic ruler, with whom not a single inhabitant of Egypt dared to argue: So the Lord called to him in the sacred valley of Tuva (Tova): “Go to Pharaoh, for he has transgressed the boundaries of what is permitted. [
The Tuvan Valley of the Kings is known far beyond the borders of the republic. At its core, it is a huge accumulation of mounds that are ancient in origin. In other words, in a basin surrounded by a chain of mountains, the ancient graves of leaders of various tribes are concentrated. These burials were attributed to the Uyuk cultural period. The valley is located approximately seventy kilometers north-west of the capital of the republic - Kyzyl and is divided into two zones, the territories of which are called “Arzhan No. 1” and “Arzhan No. 2”.
Story
The famous Valley of the Kings, or, as it is also called the Royal Valley, is located in one of the most picturesque regions of the republic - Piy-Khemsky. It is surrounded by mountains and seems full of historical secrets and treasures. The names of the burials reflect the name of the nearby settlement - Arzhan. Kurgans are considered the oldest and large territory from all similar zones of the Scythian period, and date back to the 4th-7th centuries BC. Based on this fact alone, one can imagine what archaeological value they have. And archaeologists do not miss the opportunity to carry out survey work on the territory of the mounds. Excavations are carried out almost all year round, with the possible exception of the winter season.
Peculiarities
“Arzhan-1” is considered the most explored of the two territories. Its in-depth study was carried out in the period from 2001-2003 with the help of the Russian-German society. It was then that it was precisely established that the burial places belonged to the royal dynasties. Luck smiled on the archaeologists, and an undisturbed crypt was found in one of the underground rooms. As it turned out, at least seventeen people and one hundred and sixty horses were buried here, which were customary to be buried with their owners. During the study, it was also revealed that the Tuvan mounds are more ancient than the Black Sea mounds. This fact gave scientists reason to believe that it was the burials of the Valley of the Kings that were the original ones, and from them the famous Scythian era began, which spread to more distant regions. After completion of work most of objects found during excavations became the property of the National Republican Museum, where it is kept today.
The Valley of the Kings was and remains the largest North Asian burial site, and its study has made a huge contribution to history. After all, those unique things that were found throughout the history of excavations allow us to judge a lot. Despite the fact that the mounds were partially plundered several hundred years ago, it is believed that many future sites still remain on their territory. museum exhibits. Many archaeologists from Tyva and other Russian regions are in search of these artifacts.
How to get there
The famous Tuvan landmark - the Valley of the Kings - is located in the Pii-Khem region of the Republic of Tyva, not far from settlement Arzhan.
Tuva is a small republic in the Sayan Mountains.
The Yenisei begins in Tuva. Tuva is the geographical center of Asia. But... The song about “planes don’t fly there today and even trains don’t go there” is specifically about Tuva. The nearest operating airport is in Abakan, and the nearest train is in the project.
However, it is worth visiting Tuva. And that's why…
Tuva is the edge of geography, lost World. You can only get here by bus. And here we go! The road is mountainous, winding - up and down, passes. However, the beauty outside the window is such that you don’t waste time!
Now the Sleeping Sayan will be visible... - explains the girl who already knows these places. - Look! Here he is.
I don’t yet see anything except gray rocks of the usual shape - mountains and mountains.
Yes, this is the head, these are the hands!
I take a closer look, and sure enough, there’s a head with an aquiline nose and closed eyes, and here are the hands folded on the chest!
Mountains, cliffs, hollows and ridges form the figure of a hero sleeping on a high hill. The uniqueness of the Sleeping Sayan is that a person can be seen in him not from just one point, but from different ones. Materialists believe that this time has weathered the stones. But many people agree with the legend about the hero who was left here to guard countless treasures.
The Sleeping Sayan is best seen from observation deck near Polka there is a covered tunnel over the road, protecting it from the avalanches that are frequent here. The shelf itself is an attraction, but here everyone is busy with Sayan.
At his feet is a Hanging Stone, a multi-ton boulder that one cannot understand what is holding it up on the edge of the abyss. Perhaps this is one of those “stone toys” that the gods played with and, according to legend, descended to earth in this very place. They say it looks as if it is about to fall, but when some citizens try (and, as you understand, there are some) to push the block, it does not give way. How many years this stone has been lying like this, and how much longer it will lie - God knows. We can’t see the stone from our distance, so that’s for another time...
Along the road in July local residents they sell strawberries, which are immediately picked in the meadows. Prices are affordable.
Ergaki
This natural Park. Mountains and lakes. Peaks and ridges. The local attractions are named after modern times, hence the names Parabola, Youth, Dragon's Tooth, etc. It takes, as experts say, a week to see all the sights. You can get a job at the base, which is called Ergaki. Wooden houses. Since the rocky area cannot be leveled, boardwalks were laid throughout the entire area. The air is such that you can sell it by the glass. It’s so picturesque that artistic types get drunk without alcohol, just from the landscapes. Near the base there is a lake with a reputation for being dead. However, the most persistent ones go there to fish. And even more heroic individuals, they say, even take a bath. Although the temperature is not much above zero.
Kyzyl
Kyzyl – small town. It’s very cozy in the summer, but I don’t know what it’s like in the winter. Locals say that frosts can reach minus fifty, and people try not to go outside unless necessary in winter. Therefore, in the near future there are plans to build a sports palace - then it will be possible to hold public events without risk to health.
Kyzyl is a city of children. There are children, children, children on the streets... The head of the Republic of Kara-ool said that youth and children make up half of the population of the republic. This in itself is encouraging.
From the city you can see a mountain with letters laid out on the slope. These are the first words of the most important Buddhist mantra “Om mane padme him”, laid out so that they can be seen from both earth and sky. In Kyzyl itself, in the center, on the square in front of the government building and the republican theater, there is a prayer drum. According to tradition, you need to spin the drum three times - then your wish will come true. We turn it, the bell mounted at the top rings - our request has been taken into account...
The Yenisei flows through the city - it is, in fact, here, at the confluence of the Big and Small Yenisei, and begins, becoming the very Yenisei, which after almost three and a half thousand kilometers will flow into the Arctic Ocean.
So romantics can leave a message in a bottle. I jump over the rocks away from the shore. In the clear water I suddenly see small fish. I haven’t seen fry in the water since I was a child, since the trees were big and the rivers were clean. In Tuva everything remains as in childhood...
Chief Shaman
Tuva is a unique civilization. It is impossible to say that people live here the same as hundreds of years ago - they live, of course, not like everyone else, they live like everyone else in the 21st century - they drive cars, go to cafes, eat sushi. But in some ways, Tuvans are children of eternity. In the morning, a line forms at the small green house - people came for advice from Mognus Barahovich Kenin-Lopsan, who, on the one hand, is a shaman and seer, on the other, a full member of the New York Academy of Sciences.
Our horses were stolen... - a woman standing in line to see the shaman tells us. – I want to ask if they have somewhere to look approximately.
The woman is well dressed and holding a cell phone. And it’s clear that going to a shaman with such problems is a common thing for her...
Our turn comes, we enter Kenin-Lopsan. He is sitting at the table. There are books, books, books around. There are pebbles on the table, under Kenin-Lopsan’s hands. We already know that he uses them to tell fortunes. We were told that stones for fortune telling are taken from the goiter of wood grouse. But these Kenin-Lapsana were brought from Greece.
The silence is such that you can hear the clock ticking. He is 89 years old. We don’t know whether he sees us - he has cataracts in his eyes. Kenin-Lopsan's voice is quiet, with a slight accent, but he constructs phrases correctly and does not make mistakes in endings.
I am the son of a storyteller, hunter, nomad. When I was little, we had a nomadic life. Mom, dad, brothers, sisters - our family was huge, eleven people.
I graduated from the Oriental Faculty of Leningrad University. I'm an orientalist. My teacher was Stein, professor Viktor Maksimovich Stein, he was a translator for the Russian embassy in Beijing, he spoke Chinese, Korean, and Japanese. And somehow he knew our shamanic antiquity. Yes... There was a story...
Tuva is a country of shamans. Tuvans have great respect for representatives of Orthodoxy, Islam, and Buddhism, but they turn to shamans. For Tuvans, shamans are the most respected people. They heal. They protect. Until 1990, Tuva was isolated from the outside world. Therefore, shamanism was preserved here miraculously. Our shamans were behind bars, some returned, others died. Class struggle, communist ideology... I had a grandmother who was a shaman. She was imprisoned three times under Soviet rule. The last time I sat near Minusinsk. This is a sad story for us. She's back. One day I was sitting and a young, energetic Russian man came in. He said hello and said: “I’m with your grandmother.” And he brings her. It turns out that he had a daughter, she was sick, they treated her in Leningrad and Moscow, but it didn’t help. And my grandmother cured me. And as a sign of gratitude, he brought his grandmother to us. Somehow he helped me get released early. My grandmother lived near Mongolia, she didn’t get there - she died.
I am the son of a storyteller, my memory has been working since childhood - I always remember what a person said forever. I work from seven in the morning until two in the afternoon. After two I don't work. I am the son of a nomad, a hunter - they are matinees. For me, happiness is bread, work, health, children, people who respect me, who protect me. That's all…
Lake Tore-Khol. How can I tell you what it is? Transparent water glows in the sun.
Under your feet, small pebbles, smaller than match heads, that scrape your heels.
Large birds land on the water not far away. You're a city person, you don't know their names. They are not afraid of you - this is a nature reserve. Birds have their own business - they look for fish in the water. Nature lives its life, allowing people to admire it from the shore.
One shore of the lake is Tuvan, the other is Mongolian. So the bird, having chased the fish in Tuva, catches up with it in Mongolia. But the bird doesn't care. But a person, to get here, will need a pass to the border zone. And this is good - there is no selection.
All around is semi-desert, sand and bushes. And here the lake is like an emerald lost by someone. Kara-Khol - memory of the Ice Age. Once upon a time, these places were covered with a multi-meter shell of snow and ice. Then the earth receded, but water remained in this basin. You lie on it, peer into the small pebbles and see small shells in them – millimeters in diameter. When did snails live in them - yesterday or millions of years ago?..
Valley of the Kings
There are less than a dozen places on planet Earth where long-vanished peoples buried their kings. The most famous place– Egypt, pyramids of Giza. But the Tuvan Valley of the Kings is perhaps the most mysterious.
The Scythians, the people who inhabited Asia and part of what is now European Russia, buried their leaders here at a time that was ancient for the “father of history” Herodotus. Looking down on the past, we consider ancient civilizations primitive, wild or semi-wild. Meanwhile, there were so many treasures in the Scythian burial mounds that in the 17th-18th centuries in Russia “Siberian grave gold” was counted in centners. And this is only what, for various reasons, came into legal circulation. It turns out that the Scythians had tons of gold from somewhere. What kind of people were they? What kind of world was this?
Scythian gold, found in Tuva in the Arzhaan-2 burial ground, is now stored in a special room of the Republican Museum. Pectoral, akinak, one and a half kilogram gold hryvnia, a golden ladle, which is said to be the same ladle described by Herodotus, golden “fabric” from which the king’s golden (!) trousers (!) were sewn! Two and a half thousand golden cats, each the size of a peanut, adorned the king's clothes. The royal sword (akinak), on the hilt of which tigers tear a ram. Where could the Scythians see tigers - after all, not on TV? Or are these leopards still living in some areas of Tuva? The queen's golden earring is decorated with gold grains of such fine workmanship that modern craftsmen do not undertake to repeat it. These findings raise more questions than they answer...
By the way, the international archaeological expedition “Kyzyl-Kuragino”, which includes many volunteers, has been working in the Tuvan Valley of the Kings for several seasons. So if you want to take part in a treasure hunt, go there! Just remember – the gold will have to be handed over. But the real treasures are the memories! – will stay with you!!
How to get there? By plane, train or car to Abakan. Then - along the M-54 highway to Kyzyl. Further - wherever your heart desires.
The national cuisine is the most diverse. Local tea - with milk, salty. The national drink is kumiss (horse and camel milk). Not for everyone, but for something exotic you can try it, there is no particular risk.
The people are hospitable and friendly.
I won’t hide it: we entered Tuva with some apprehension, as we did in Ingushetia and Chechnya in our time. But both in the Caucasus and here, nothing overshadowed our road trip. But still, reputation does not arise out of nowhere. The unfavorable background, or as they would say now, the background is laid down historically.
Tuva, as you know, became part of the USSR in 1944. And not even as a republic, but as an autonomous region. In the dawn of the Great Patriotic War, this was hardly the most noticeable event, but by this time the Tuvans had proven that they were the most loyal allies: they were the first to support the USSR from the first days of aggression, declaring war on Germany. Further - more: they transferred all their gold reserves to the Union, began to form volunteer units that fought on the Soviet fronts, and also sent almost all internal resources to help us. And it was worth a lot.
But there were other periods. Mainly when Russia demonstrated its weakness. Anti-Russian sentiments occurred in Civil War, when Tuva came under the rule of the Kolchakites, as well as in the 90s (the period of the collapse of the USSR). Many Russian-speaking people then left the republic, but there were also those who remained. In particular, my classmate, who, after graduating from Irkutsk State University, received an assignment (there was such a concept before) to Kyzyl and successfully adapted there.
Before my trip to Tuva, I called him. Unfortunately, he was on vacation at the time. Krasnodar region, but the advice helped a lot.
Firstly, he said that there is no need to fear anything if you behave appropriately to the situation.
Secondly, do not pretend to be a Muskvich: do not get into any disputes; do not show fakie to anyone; do not promise sexual adventures to anyone; and we don’t teach anyone how to live...
Thirdly, it is best to stay in the capital in a hotel opposite the local FSB headquarters.
But before getting to the capital of Tuva, we traveled a little around the territory of the republic. Until that moment, I was sure that there was nothing more beautiful in Siberia than Buryatia. Is not a fact!
The road was absolutely wonderful, the views were amazing. The roadside trade was also pleasing. There were a lot of strawberries and inexpensive. This year it seems to be especially ugly. But for my taste, the Baikal one is still tastier.
After Krasnoyarsk Territory it became clear that he had entered a territory where the spirits of Tengri are revered, where Buddhists and shamanists are in favor. But we are no strangers: they left a coin or a piece of candy on the passes...
Before reaching the capital, we turned onto a country road indicating the way to the Valley of the Kings of Tuva. Of course, in those ancient times, neither the kings nor the current Tuva were here. But there was a valley, and in it there was a life that was not yet fully understood, but filled with events. Here, as in Khakassia, the high culture, which is called Scythian, left behind hundreds of mounds, under which the local rulers rested. And some of them contain examples of incredible jewelry art.
We found ourselves at the most famous of the uncovered mounds, which has preserved all its riches to this day - this is Arzhan-2.
Here in 2001, a Russian-German expedition discovered the undisturbed burial of a local leader and his wife, whose remains were covered with a layer of gold. And not just any kind, but amazing jewelry. We will see them a little later in a special storage room of the museum, more like a safe or a crypt from which they were taken.
Half an hour up the hill under the hot July sun. There is no path, but the walk is quite easy and even pleasant. It smells like thyme and mountain herbs. A lizard slips out from under your feet. Grasshoppers chirp. The view from above is mesmerizing: there is a huge sky above the foothills of the Sayan Mountains. The Usinsky tract stretches like a thin thread between the hills. People have been walking along the ancient path for four thousand years. The Scythians roamed here, and the troops of Genghis Khan set out to conquer the world. At the beginning of the last century, the White Guards, under pressure from the Bolsheviks, were looking for a way to retreat to Mongolia.
Currently, archaeological excavations are taking place in the Krasnoyarsk Territory and neighboring Tuva. One of the largest in Russia and the world. This is related to construction railway Kyzyl - Kuragino, part of which will pass along the ancient path.
Valley of the Kings
Back in the 60-70s of the last century, the Institute of the History of Material Culture of the Russian Academy of Sciences conducted archaeological research on the territory of Tuva and the south of the Krasnoyarsk Territory. At this time they discovered a large number of historical monuments.
A real sensation, comparable in significance only to the discovery of Schiemann's Troy, happened in 1974. Then a mound with burials was discovered in Tuva (it was named after the neighboring village - Arzhaan), with a huge amount artifacts. This place was immediately nicknamed the Valley of the Kings.
Excavations of another mound - Arzhaan-2 - in the same area in 2001 created a real sensation. Here they found the royal couple, accompanied by many associates. The leaders left for another world with a huge amount of precious things: jewelry, utensils. Even the clothes were completely covered with golden scales.
Nikolai Bokovenko, now the head of the second detachment of the Sayan archaeological expedition working in the construction zone of the Kyzyl-Kuragino railway, was part of the group that conducted excavations at the legendary Arzhaan-2. He says those finds affected him unforgettable impression: There were some really unique things there. For example, just one of the 20-centimeter women's stiletto heels in the shape of a deer is valued at approximately two million dollars. And almost 25 kilograms of similar gold jewelry were discovered!
However, the conclusions that these findings allowed us to draw are completely priceless.
Previously, it was believed that the territory of Tuva and the south of the Krasnoyarsk Territory was the distant periphery of the powerful Scythian empire. But the results of excavations confirm the hypothesis: ancient civilization originated here. By the way, Herodotus also spoke about the Central Asian origin of this legendary people.
Homeland of the Scythians
It must be said that this territory - the south of the Krasnoyarsk Territory and Central Asia in general - is a unique region that was a real generator of nations,” explains Nikolai Bokovenko, associate professor at the St. Petersburg Institute of Culture and Arts. - We study paleoclimate (that is, ancient climate), compare various regions according to weather conditions. For example, it turns out that the most prosperous place in those ancient times was the Sayano-Altai region. Here, in the Minusinsk Basin, there was a real ecumene (a particularly favorable region for life). This is an incredibly interesting area in all respects; its study is very important for science.
About three thousand years ago there was a high population density here. In the south of our region and in Tuva, peoples concentrated, and then moved west - all the way to Central Europe. From here, starting from the first millennium BC, there was a migration of Scythians, Huns, Turks, and Tatar-Mongols. Why they moved west is unclear. Perhaps in search of a better life. Perhaps they were led forward by those who were young, active and energetic (passionaries, according to Lev Gumilyov’s definition). Perhaps they obeyed the instinct of conquerors, as in the case of Genghis Khan.
All these peoples, who long ago disappeared from the face of the earth, moved along the ancient road - now it is called the Usinsky tract. Along this unique path, excavations of ancient sites, burials and a kind of “campsites” are being carried out (three, two thousand, and a hundred years ago, our ancestors, like us, traveled and had picnics on the side of the road). Each such parking lot is “multi-layered”: after all, if the place is really convenient, it will always be used. Therefore, it often happens that archaeologists begin to excavate, for example, a 19th-century cellar, and under it they discover artifacts from the Bronze Age.
Cauldron of Nations
The amount of work ahead is enormous. Therefore, they decided to attract volunteers to help the archaeologists. For the third year now, the international volunteer camp “Valley of the Kings” has been operating in Tuva. Since extensive excavations are being carried out in the south of the Krasnoyarsk Territory, it was decided to create a second volunteer camp here. So, last year, another camp appeared on the territory of the Ermakovsky district - “Ermak”.
- “Valley of the Kings” and “Ermak” were organized because an idea arose with the help of Russian Geographical Society to make the Kyzyl-Kuragino project not only scientific,” explains Denis Gergilev, director of the international volunteer archaeological camp “Ermak”. - Guys from all over Russia and from other countries of the world come to us in Siberia.
Among the volunteers, the first to be chosen are historians, archaeologists, geologists, and geographers; for them, participation in excavations is a unique practice. However, everyone has a chance to take part in the project. For example, oceanologists and journalists now work at Ermak. Several students from Colombia arrived at once - a friend who came here last year encouraged.
Many of those who have visited here once strive to return again. Because this is an opportunity to see an amazing region and a chance to gain unique knowledge.
The guys work at the excavations in the first half of the day. In the second, they play sports and communicate,” says Denis Gergilev. - For them, leading teachers of the Siberian federal university give lectures on the history, geography and ethnography of our region. The guys go on excursions and go on mountain hikes in Ergaki.
Every day for young people is scheduled by the hour. They are all busy with big, interesting things. It is participation in it that makes many reevaluate their lives. After a trip to the “Valley of the Kings” and “Ermak”, someone quits their unloved job, someone begins to seriously engage in science. After all, one of the goals of archeology is to answer simple, human questions. What color did our distant ancestors have hair and eyes? Did they like to travel or were they homebodies? How did you dress? What were you interested in? Understand what the people who lived here three thousand years ago were like - and all in order to understand yourself.
REFERENCE
In the early 2000s, archaeologists presented the world with a real sensation. Two mounds were excavated on the territory of Tuva - Arzhaan-1 and Arzhaan-2 in the Valley of the Kings, untouched by robbers. Burial Arzhaan-2 dates back to the 6th-5th centuries. BC e. And this is the earliest historical monument Scythian culture.
The Arzhaan-2 mound has become a real Klondike for archaeologists. More than 20 kg of high 990 gold were extracted from it. This collection of gold objects is secretly called the main archaeological discovery of the 21st century.