FUNCTIONAL AND SEMANTIC INTERPRETATIONS OF KURGANS WITH STONE ALIGNMENTS: A HISTORIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW

This article is devoted to the functional and semantic analysis of burial mounds with stone ridges, known as kurgans with "mustaches", which are widespread in the steppe regions of Central Asia and Eastern Europe, predominantly in the Ural-Kazakhstan area. Based on archaeological data, historiographic review, and comparative analysis, the author concludes that these monuments date back to the Early Turkic period (4th–7th сс.) and have a cult-memorial purpose. The work examines various hypotheses regarding their functional and semantic significance. Researchers’ views are analyzed considering modern cultural and chronological frameworks. Key attributed functions are outlined: cult-ancestral, cult-solar, festive, ritual-purifying, among others. Particular attention is given to the concepts of A.Z. Bejsenov and S.G. Botalov, according to which kurgans with "mustaches" function as temples of memory and gates to the afterlife for high-status deceased individuals. Elements of ritual practice are analyzed: the placement of vessels, horse sacrifices, use of fire, and the presence of stone sculptures. The study emphasizes the importance of a comprehensive approach to the investigation of these monuments. As a result, kurgans with "mustaches" are proposed to be considered as an expression of the transcendent beliefs of ancient Turks, associated with ancestor worship, sacred space, and cosmological orientations.