Ancient Mongolian mummy discovered in Altai Mountains

Researchers have announced the discovery of the 1,500-year-old remains of a human female, believed to be of Turkik origin, in the Altai Mountains, and while the find itself is historic, it is not the only reason the that the find has been garnering attention.

As B. Sukhbaatar, a researcher at Khovd Museum who studied the remains, told the Siberian Times, the ancient remains were discovered wrapped in felt at an altitude of more than 2,800m in the mountain range connecting Siberia with Mongolia and Kazakhstan.

Researchers believe that the subject was female, but Sukhbaatar said that they will not know for certain until the body is carefully unwrapped and studied further. However, his team is hailing it as the first complete Turkik burial ever discovered in Central Asia, and he added that the person “was likely a woman, because there is no bow in the tomb.”

Also in the grave, the archaeologists discovered a saddle, a bridle, a clay vase, a wooden bowl, an iron kettle, a trough, the remains of an entire horse, four different sets of Mongolian clothing, a sheep’s head, pillows, and a felt travel bag filled with lamb remains and goat bones.

Wait… are those Adidas?

One interesting note that has captured the attention of publications such as the Daily Mail and the New York Daily News, as well as countless social media users all over the world, is the method in which the mummy’s feet were wrapped, and its similarity to a modern-day pair of sneakers.

Naturally, some users quipped (at least, we hope they were joking) that this might be evidence of time travel, with one even wondering if one of the Doctor’s companions from the sci-fi TV show Doctor Who might have accidentally been left behind in ancient Mongolia. Sadly, the mummy is not actually wearing Adidas sneakers, but there is still plenty to get excited about.

Sukhbaatar called the discovery of the remains “a very rare phenomenon” and called it “the first complete Turkik burial at least in Mongolia – and probably in all Central Asia.” He said that the horse was a four- to eight-year-old mare that “clearly” had been “deliberately sacrificed.”

He told the Times that they found four coats that were made of cotton, and interestingly enough, that camel wool has been used in the garments alongside sheep wool. They dated the items found buried with the person, coming up with “a preliminary date of around the 6th century AD.” This discovery provides new insight into “the beliefs and rituals of Turkics,” Sukhbaatar added.

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Image credit: Siberian Times

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