BURIAL MOUND BUTOBAY 3: AN ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE OF THE SRUBNO- ALAKUL TYPE IN THE VALLEY OF THE ILYASKA RIVER

In 2020, a gas pipeline was built in the Kizilsky district of the Chelyabinsk region. The construction of this gas pipeline was carried out without a preliminary archaeological study of the area. The construction of the gas pipeline resulted in damage to mound No. 12 of the Butobay 3 burial ground. This mound burial ground is located on the right bank of the Ilyaska River between the village of Karabulak and the village of Obruchevka. The Butobai 3 burial mound consists of three chains of mounds stretching in the direction from west to east. In mound No. 12 four grave pits were damaged. Inside these burial pits there were stone boxes built from granite slabs. Burials in stone boxes were performed according to the rite of burial. Ceramic vessels and earthenware beads were placed in the graves along with those buried. The examined burial mound demonstrates an interesting variant of the funeral rite of the syncretic Srubnaya- Alakul archaeological sites, widespread in the Late Bronze Age in the Southern Urals.