Emily Chan
It is unclear whether the buckles were worn by the prince who was buried in the tomb. Possibly, one of the prince’s aides had worn them and left them behind in the tomb as part of a funerary ritual.
The prince’s memorial complex was made of stone and dirt. It was about 300 feet long and 165 feet wide. Each of its two main sections was encompassed by a courtyard wall.
One of the sections consisted of a square-shaped temple, which housed the central burial chamber where the belt buckles were found.
Beside it, there was a “labyrinth” built for visiting pilgrims to occupy. Within the labyrinth sat a broken stone sculpture that is now headless. Archaeologists believe the statue was meant to represent the person buried in the tomb.
According to Samashev, hundreds of other items have been excavated at the site. In addition to the gold buckles and the headless sculpture, there were weapons, the remains of equipment used for horses, a crystal amulet, and objects made of silver, iron, and bronze.
