Bronze seal from the Duryony settlement and the elite Xiongnu complex of the Tsaram burial ground

A bronze seal discovered over four decades ago at the Duryony settlement in Trans-Baikal region has been re-examined, revealing its potential link to the elite nobility of the Xiongnu state. This unique artifact, previously studied for its stylistic and symbolic significance, is now contextualized within large-scale archaeological research conducted in Mongolia and Trans-Baikal area during the early 2000s. The study suggests that the seal may have belonged to a representative of the clan nobility buried in the Tsaramskaya valley or someone from their entourage, who ruled remote territories on the northern borders of the Xiongnu state. This finding sheds new light on the hierarchical structure and symbolic role of seals within Xiongnu society, which persisted even as the state declined.

Nikolaev, N. (2022). Bronze seal from the Duryony settlement and the elite Xiongnu complex of the Tsaram burial ground. Camera Praehistorica, 45–51. https://doi.org/10.31250/2658-3828-2022-2-45-51