Chemurchek culture

The Chemurchek culture (Ch:切木尔切克, Qièmùěrqièkè; Ru: Чемурчекская культура), also called Khemtseg, Hemtseg, Qiemu’erqieke, Shamirshak (2750-1900 BCE), is a Bronze Age archaeological culture of western Mongolia and the borders of neighbouring countries, such as the Dzungarian Basin of Xinjiang and eastern Kazakhstan. It immediately follows the Afanasievo culture, and is contemporary with the early Tarim Mummies to the south and the Okunev culture to the north. The Chemurchek burials are characterized by large rectangular stone fences, built around collective tombs. The mortuary position of the deceased (supine position with flexed legs) is similar to that of the Afanasievo culture, but the Chemurchek culture is considered as distinct. The name "Chemurchek culture" is derived from the Chemurchek cemetery in Altay City of Chinese Xinjiang. Chemurchek sites have been identified from western Mongolia to areas as far west as the Ili valley (Bortala Mongol Autonomous Prefecture).

Characteristics

Anthropomorphic standing stones were erected next to the tombs, on their eastern side. Their faces are flattened with a straight nose and globular eyes. They appear to be naked as pectoral muscles seem to be depicted. They far predate and are very different from Turkic balbal statues found in the same general area but dated to the 7th-10th centuries CE. They are highly similar to Western European anthropomorphic stelae, suggesting the transfer of cultural characteristics through migration. A more developed tradition of anthropomorphic stelae existed in the contemporary Okunev culture to the north, in the Minusinsk basin (c. 2550/2500 – c. 1900/1700 BCE).

In the tombs, artifacts have been recovered, such as stone bowls, bone tools, ceramics (grey wares with sophisticated patterns of incised decoration), or metal jewelry. Bronze artifacts too are available. Bronze tools include knives, awls, spearheads and arrowheads. Bronze was cast in open or composite stone molds, and seems to have been a focus of economic production.

Dental analysis has shown that the Chemurchek culture consumed ruminant dairy products.

The people of the Chemurchek culture were apparently descendants of Afanasievo populations intermixed with local populations. Their genetic profile shows a contribution of about 50% from the Afanasievans, combined with about 30% of Ancient North Eurasian (an ancient Siberian substrate represented by the Tarim mummies of sample Tarim_EMBA1), and small proportions of Ancient Northeast Asian (Baikal_EBA) and BMAC (Geoksyur_EN).

In the Altai Mountains and to the southeast, Afanasievans seem to have coexisted with the early period of the Chemurchek culture for some time, as some of their burials are contemporary and some of the artifacts of the burials coincide. The Chemurchek culture had various characteristics of West European origin.

Another Chemurcheck burial site was discovered in Yagshiin khuduu in Bulgan soum, Khovd aimag, which contained "the oldest kurgan stelae" discovered so far in Mongolia, dated to c. 2500-2000 BCE.