Rich grave goods and beaded sewn clothing
Enterramiento con ajuar suntuario y vestimenta cosida decorada
- Date
- c. 34 ka · confidence high
- Place
- Sungir, Vladimir, Russia
- Credited to
- Homo sapiens (Gravettian)
- Field
- Communication
What it is
Three individuals covered with more than 13,000 ivory beads sewn onto their clothing, straightened ivory spears and ochre. They show status inequality, even among children.
What it led to
- Inherited or ascribed status: incipient social hierarchy
- Mobilising thousands of hours of work for a funeral: an economy of prestige
- Tailored clothing with hood, trousers and footwear, documented by the arrangement of beads
- Ivory straightening: advanced materials technology
Built on
- Personal ornaments (perforated shell beads)c. 142 ka
- Intentional burial with grave goodsc. 100 ka
- Eyed bone needlec. 50 ka
- Intentional burial with grave goods
- Personal ornaments (perforated shell beads)
- Eyed bone needle