PRELIMINARY PRESERVATION OF THE BODIES OF THE DECEASED UNTIL BURIAL AMONG THE KAZAKH PEOPLE: BASED ON THE ARCHAELOGICAL AND ETNOGRAPHIC MATERIALS

Аннотация

As many Turkic peoples, the Kazakhs are distinguished by a respectful attitude to the
dead. In this article, the authors consider the causes, duration and place of temporary
preservation of the body until burial of the Kazakh people. This tradition is associated
with the natural conditions and economic cycle of nomads. The authors give examples of
the preservation of the body until the burial based on ethnographic data.
In the authors’ opinion, the practice of making delayed burials originates from the
early nomads of the Eurasian steppes. According to archaeological materials, we can see
examples of the delayed burials of noble persons at the Turks.
The article also examined the special veneration of ancestors. According to the
authors, this cult originates from the early nomads. They erected large mounds in honor
of the dead ancestors and buried them in golden attires.