The tomb was found during construction of a new international airport in the Rostov region of Russia.
Russian archaeologists reportedly described the intact burial mound as “priceless” due to the fact that such graves were often looted.
The corpse was adorned with a gold bracelet on each wrist, a pair of gold earrings and a gemstone featuring a Phoenician or early Aramaic inscription. A gold vial and bronze mirror were also amongst the remains.
More than 100 iron arrowheads, a horse harness, as well as a hidden stash of knives and an unfinished sword found in the grave have given archaeologists reason to believe it belonged to an elite Sarmatian warrior woman.
The Sarmatians were a nomadic tribe that migrated from central Asia to the Ural mountains in Russia between the sixth and fourth century BC.
“One of the most unusual things about these finds is that items in the [grave] were dated from the first century BC to the first century AD,” archaeologist Roman Mimokhod told the Daily Mail.
“It is rather unique; I have not see such a combination before and have not heard about it. This can mean that the most ancient things were handed down for a long time and finally were buried with this noble woman.”
Early analysis of the woman’s teeth reportedly indicated that she had died at a late age. She was said to have been found near the grave of a man – believed to be her husband – whose tomb had already been robbed prior to its discovery.
grave contents
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