The extraordinary find of a Bronze Age warrior buried between 2,700 and 2,900 years ago with dagger in one hand, a knife in the other, spiral earrings, and a bronze disc on his forehead, is intriguing archeologists in Siberia. The time was a transition from the Bronze to the Iron age.
     The remains were found during restoration of an historical building in Omsk, a city on the Irtysh River in the south of the country, near the northern border of Kazahkstan.
     The well-preserved skeleton lay on his back with his wrists crossed, the dagger in his right hand pointing up, the knife in his left hand pointing down. Nearby were an axe and some arrow heads.
     Maxim Grachev, director of Omsk Museum of Archeology and Ethnography, says: "The ideal state of the grave was a pleasant surprise for us. We found a large number of well-preserved items: weapons, jewellery, and other items made of bronze." Five burials were found, but the others were destroyed. Grachev thinks further burial remains are likely to lie under buildings on the site, but are not accessible.

Edited from The Siberian Times (5 August 2017)