Abstract
The article presents the results of a comprehensive study of materials from three kurgans of the Aynabulak–Temirsu-1 burial ground, excavated in 2017 and 2023 in the Zaysan District of the East Kazakhstan Region. The study is based on the analysis of burial rites, the assemblage of grave goods (metal knives, spiral-shaped ornaments, ceramic vessels, censers), and radiocarbon dating. The burial complexes of Kurgans No. 11 and 22 demonstrate a stable set of features (orientation and position of the deceased, use of ochre, and character of the inventory), allowing their attribution to the Afanasievo archaeological culture. Kurgan No. 11 is dated to the 29th–27th centuries BC based on radiocarbon analysis. Kurgan No. 22 is interpreted as a ritual structure without a burial. Metal artefacts from Kurgan No. 11 were subjected to technical and chemical analysis using portable X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (pXRF) in order to determine the elemental composition of their alloys. Ochre samples were studied by scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDS); the preliminary results indicate a single ore source for the analyzed samples. The study contributes to the investigation of cultural connections and burial traditions of the population of Eastern Kazakhstan and adjacent territories during the Bronze Age.