Ekven is an archaeological site in the Russian

Chukotka Autonomous Okrug Chukotka (russian: Чуко́тка), officially the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug,, ''Čukotkakèn avtonomnykèn okrug'', is the easternmost federal subjects of Russia, federal subject of Russia. It is an autonomous okrug situated in the Russian ...

. It is located 30 km from the village of

Uelen Uelen (russian: Уэлéн; Chukchi: , ''Uvèlèn''; Siberian Yupik: Улыӄ, ''Ulyḳ''; Naukan Yupik: Олыӄ, ''Oleq''; also known as Whalen in older English-language sources and Ugelen on USCGS charts) is a rural locality (a '' selo'') ...

. Here a 2000-year-old Eskimo Cemetery from the

Old Bering Sea culture Old or OLD may refer to: Places *Old, Baranya, Hungary *Old, Northamptonshire, England *Old Street station, a railway and tube station in London (station code OLD) *OLD, IATA code for Old Town Municipal Airport and Seaplane Base, Old Town, Mai ...

was discovered by D.A. Sergeev and S.A. Arutiunov. They found graves made of wood, stone and whale bones. There were also burial of an older woman with a wooden mask. Ekven is one of the most important archaeological discoveries in this area, competing only with

Ipiutak site The Ipiutak site is a large archaeological site at Point Hope in northwest Alaska, United States. It is one of the most important discoveries in this area, competing only with Ekven, Russia. It is the type site for the Ipiutak culture, which aro ...

Alaska Alaska ( ; russian: Аляска, Alyaska; ale, Alax̂sxax̂; ; ems, Alas'kaaq; Yup'ik: ''Alaskaq''; tli, Anáaski) is a state located in the Western United States on the northwest extremity of North America. A semi-exclave of the U.S., ...

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

. The archaeological finds here produced a clearer picture of the ''Old Bering Sea culture''. For example, much evidence of female

shaman Shamanism is a religious practice that involves a practitioner (shaman) interacting with what they believe to be a spirit world through altered states of consciousness, such as trance. The goal of this is usually to direct spirits or spiritu ...

were found. Altogether Ekven has about 100 graves which are still studied by Russian archaeologist Mikhael Bronstein.Arctic Studies Center: Ekven Burial
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References

Archaeological sites in Russia Chukotka Autonomous Okrug Cemeteries in Russia Objects of cultural heritage of Russia of federal significance Cultural heritage monuments in Chukotka Autonomous Okrug {{ChukotkaAutonomousOkrug-geo-stub

See also

References