This study focuses on the construction sequence of three complex and atypical Scythian kurgans at the Vodoslavka burial ground in the Northern Sivash region, which incorporate several unique structural and ritual elements. One of the most striking features is the layer of mud applied to the ground surface prior to mound construction, which, in several cases, formed anthropomorphic outlines. Funerary feasting, which took place both before and during the burial ceremony, was just one of the other features. So too was the deliberate shaping of soil removed from the central grave into a spherical segment, and the ritual activity associated with this prepared spoil heap. Although the mounds’ preserved height is relatively modest (originally about 3–5 m), their internal organisation and the composition of the grave goods suggest that they were used for burying individuals of high status within Scythian society. The cemetery’s proximity to major salt lakes suggests that the local elite’s affluence may have been linked to their control over this vital resource. The architectural and depositional features of the kurgans can be interpreted as elements of a ritual system designed to ensure the deceased’s proper transition to the afterlife. The design of the burial chambers and the richness of the grave goods reflect a concern for the conditions of existence in the afterlife, while the associated manipulations of the sub-mound space and mound deposits, prepared surfaces, deliberately shaped spoil heaps, and related ritual practices can be understood as material markers and procedures intended to secure the successful passage of the deceased to the afterlife.
Daragan et al. (Thu,) studied this question.