Kipchak kurgans of the Menovnoe VII necropolis (Eastern Kazakhstan)

The article concludes the series of publication of materials obtained during the study of the Kipchak kurgans in the Menovnoye VII multi-period necropolis, located on the territory of the Upper Irtysh region. The burial structures form two groups: the first consists of three mounds located closely to each other in the western part of the site; the second comprises two kurgans positioned in a distance from each other in the eastern part of the cemetery. The planigraphy of the site suggests a certain chronological isolation of the analysed structures within the framework of the development of the Kipchak cultural traditions during the end of the 10th–12th centuries. The analysis of the funeral rites and the remains of the accompanying grave goods found during the study of the burial mounds of the second group make it possible to date them to the pre-Mongolian time within the 12th century AD. The composition of the material complex of the analysed kurgans, despite their robbery, demonstrates the high social status of the deceased.