The wooden box from the Urysay-2 complex (Western Kazakhstan, 5th century BCE): an interdisciplinary research experience
The wooden box from the Urysay-2 complex (Western Kazakhstan, 5th century BCE): an interdisciplinary research experience

Summary/Abstract: The article is devoted to the study, restoration, and reconstruction of a poplar box originating from kurgan No. 13 of the Urysay-2 burial site. This box contained a set of ritual objects associated with a female “priestess”. The box was positioned behind the head of the deceased and was a low, square container with straight sides and a separate flat lid. The specific set of objects found in the box included a mirror, a cedar block, a “spoon” with traces of paint, a small organic vessel (leather? felt?), and silk fabric, supplemented by a small stone altar and a set of tools found nearby. During fieldwork, the box was removed in one block. Subsequently, an MRI scan was performed; a comprehensive set of procedures was conducted to identify the material of the finds, their physicochemical composition, conservation, and restoration; a 3D reconstruction of the box and the items was carried out.

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