Emily Chan
The identities of the two men are unclear, but it is believed they were elite members of society and likely performed duties related to finances, such as tax collection.
“Joint finds of weapons, scales, and weights in men’s burials are convincingly interpreted as an indication of the ownership of these burials to persons who performed fiscal functions, which involved weighing coins collected as taxes,” the researchers said.
They added that the unusual appearance of the burials, the size of the wooden funerary structure in the second man’s grave, and the presence of equestrian equipment all pointed to their high societal status.
Overall, the site provided some hints about the military culture and social structure in northeastern Russia.
It also sheds light on how the old Russian elite were Christianized, which happened at rapid rates, primarily during the 11th century.
