Chemurchek Culture

The Chemurchek culture (Ch:切木尔切克, ''Qièmùěrqièkè''; Ru: Чемурчекская культура), also called Khemtseg, Hemtseg, Qiemu’erqieke, Shamirshak (2750–1900 BCE), is a Bronze Age archaeological culture of western Mongolia and the borders of neighbouring countries, such as the Dzungarian Basin of Xinjiang and eastern Kazakhstan. It immediately follows the Afanasievo culture, and is contemporary with the early Tarim Mummies to the south and the Okunev culture to the north. The Chemurchek burials are characterized by large rectangular stone fences, built around collective tombs. The mortuary position of the deceased (supine position with flexed legs) is similar to that of the Afanasievo culture, but the Chemurchek culture is considered distinct. The name "Chemurchek culture" is derived from the Chemurchek cemetery in Altay City, Xinjiang, China. Chemurchek sites have been identified from western Mongolia to areas as far west as the Ili valley in Kazakhstan and western China.

Characteristics

Anthropomorphic standing stones were erected next to the tombs, on their eastern side. Their faces are flattened with a straight nose and globular eyes. They appear to be naked as pectoral muscles seem to be depicted. They far predate and are very different from Turkic balbal statues found in the same general area but dated to the 7th to 10th centuries CE. They are highly similar to Western European anthropomorphic stelae, suggesting the transfer of cultural characteristics through migration. A more developed tradition of anthropomorphic stelae existed in the contemporary Okunev culture to the north, in the Minusinsk basin ( BCE).

Artifacts such as stone bowls, bone tools, ceramics (grey wares with sophisticated patterns of incised decoration), and metal jewelry have been recovered from the tombs. Bronze artifacts have also been found. Bronze tools include knives, awls, spearheads and arrowheads. Bronze was cast in open or composite stone molds, and seems to have been a focus of economic production.

Dental analysis has shown that the Chemurchek culture consumed ruminant dairy products.

The people of the Chemurchek culture were apparently descendants of Afanasievo populations intermixed with local populations. Their genetic profile shows a contribution of about 50% from the Afanasievans, combined with about 30% of Ancient North Eurasian (an ancient Siberian substrate represented by the Tarim mummies of sample Tarim_EMBA1), and small proportions of Ancient Northeast Asian (Baikal_EBA) and BMAC (Geoksyur_EN).

In the Altai Mountains and to the southeast, Afanasievans seem to have coexisted with the early period of the Chemurchek culture for some time, as some of their burials are contemporary and some of the artifacts of the burials coincide. The Chemurchek culture had various characteristics of West European origin.

Another Chemurcheck burial site was discovered in Yagshiin khuduu in Bulgan soum, Khovd aimag, which contained "the oldest kurgan stelae" discovered in Mongolia, dated to .

European connections

Archaeologist Alexey Kovalev has remarked on the similarities between the material and tomb cultures of the Chemurcheks and those of Southern France, leading him to suggest a migratory origin for the Chemurchek culture from Western Europe and more specifically southern France.

The Chemurchek statues have a lot in common with southern France statues of the late 4th millennium such as "'' La Dame de Saint-Sernin''" or the "'' Statue-menhir de Maison-Aube''". Kovalev further suggests that the Chemurchek culture may be associated with Proto-Tokharians, who must have migrated to the east around this period, and whose Western Indo-European language is closest to proto-Germanic and proto-Italian, corresponding to the broad geographical area encompassing southern France. The language of the Chemurchek/Proto-Tocharians may have originated from the same general location in Western Europe, as did their burial and statuary styles. According to Alexey Kovalev:

In particular, regarding the architecture of the tombs: "the unique architectural technique of constructing perimeter embankments lined with stone facades was used before the appearance of the Chemurchek monuments only during the construction of megalithic tombs of France and the British Isles". Three main types of Chemurchek tombs are recorded: the Alkabek, Bulgan and Kermuqi types.

Gallery

File:Chemurchek Funerary and Ritual Structures.jpg, Chemurchek funerary and ritual structures
File:Chemurchek barrow with statue-menhir (Yagshiin khodoo 3).jpg, Chemurchek barrow with statue-menhir (Yagshiin khodoo 3), "Bulgan type" mound.
File:Chemurchek burials, carbon dates.jpg, Chemurchek burials, carbon dates
File:Stone Statue 0.jpg, Funerary statue from Chemurchek cemetery (Burial mound M2). Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region Museum.
File:Chemurchek sanctuary Hulagash (Bayan-Ulgii aimag, Mongolia) Burial, circa 2500 BCE.jpg, Chemurchek sanctuary Hulagash (Bayan-Ulgii aimag, Mongolia) Burial,
File:Chemurchek sanctuary Hulagash (Bayan-Ulgii aimag, Mongolia) Burial, forensic reconstruction of the skull, circa 2500 BCE.jpg, Chemurchek sanctuary Hulagash (Bayan-Ulgii aimag, Mongolia) Burial, forensic reconstruction of the skull,
File:Reconstruction of an Early Eastern Eurasian chariot (Mongolia, 2000-1500 BCE).png, Hypothesized horse transport technology in use during the Chemurchek culture period.
File:切木尔切克石人及石棺墓群出土的双联石罐.jpg, Stone pot with two mouths, 4200–3900 BCE, Chemurcheck cemetery, Altay City.
File:Early Bronze Age Stone Ware (35545099742).jpg, Stone ware, Yagshiin khuduu in Bulgan soum, Khovd aimag. National Museum of Mongolia
File:Early Bronze Age Bronze Earring (35545109212).jpg, Bronze earring, Yagshiin khuduu in Bulgan soum, Khovd aimag. National Museum of Mongolia
File:Stone fence and burial of Khemtseg culture, Avyn Khukh Uul, Bulgan, Khovd, Mongolia (people for size).jpg, Stone fence and burial of Khemtseg culture, Avyn Khukh Uul, Bulgan, Khovd, Mongolia
File:Stone fence and burial of Khemtseg culture, Avyn Khukh Uul, Bulgan, Khovd, Mongolia.jpg, Stone fence and burial of Khemtseg culture, Avyn Khukh Uul, Bulgan, Khovd, Mongolia
File:Khemceg culture timeline.png, Chronological table of the Bronze and Early Iron Ages of Mongolia.

References

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{{Rulers of Ancient Central Asia

Archaeological sites in Mongolia
Archaeological cultures in Mongolia
Kurgans
Iron Age sites in Asia