Ancient site · Tomb
Maykop kurgan
Also known as Maikop kurgan, Oshad
A burial mound about 10 m high in the town of Maykop in the North Caucasus of Russia, excavated by Nikolay Veselovsky in 1897. Under it lay a chieftain or 'priest-king' with rich grave goods, including gold and silver bull figurines, and the burials of two women.
It gave its name to the Maykop culture, and its treasures are now in the Hermitage Museum. The mound itself no longer survives.
- Dates
- built within c. 3700–3100 BCE
- Still standing
- No, or only traces
- Location
- 44.61° N, 40.10° E
How we know
No writing existed; the tomb was dug in 1897 and is dated by comparing its objects and by radiocarbon dates from related graves.
Nearby sites
- Hattusa c. 2000–1190 BCE (Hittite capital from c. 1650 BCE)
- Areni-1 cave c. 4300–3500 BCE
- Arslantepe c. 4000–700 BCE; palace c. 3400–3200 BCE
- Çayönü c. 8630–6800 BCE
- Göbekli Tepe c. 9500–8000 BCE
- Karahan Tepe c. 9750–9400 BCE (dates still being refined)
Related
- Maykop culture archaeological culture