Fashion is all about being current, and the discovery of an ancient mummy has revealed what was on-trend in the footwear department 1,500 YEARS AGO.

Archaeologists in Mongolia have revealed the fashion on the feet of a woman they are unwrapping following her discovery in the Altai Mountains.

The mummy, found at an altitude of 9,200 feet, has so far been shown to have modern-looking boots – but experts say the find dates back to 1,500 years ago.

They believe it appears to be the first complete Turkik burial in Central Asia.

Researcher B Sukhbaatar, of Khovd Museum, said: “This person was not from the elite, and we believe it was likely a woman, because there is no bow in the tomb.

 

“Now we are carefully unwrapping the body, and once this is complete the specialists will be able to say more precisely about the gender.”

A host of possessions were found in the grave, offering a unique insight into life in Mongolia in around the 6th century AD.

These included a saddle, bridle, clay vase, wooden bowl, trough, iron kettle, the remains of entire horse, and ancient clothing.

There were also pillows, a sheep’s head and felt travel bag in which were placed the whole back of a sheep, goat bones and small leather bag designed to carry a cup.

 

The researcher said: “This is a very rare phenomenon.

“These finds show us the beliefs and rituals of Turkiks.

“We can see clearly that the horse was deliberately sacrificed. It was a mare, between four and eight years old.

“Four coats we found were made of cotton.

“An interesting thing we found is that not only sheep wool was used, but also camel wool.

 

“We can date the burial by the things we have found there, also the type of hat.

“It gives us a preliminary date of around the 6th century AD.”

Archaeologists from the city museum in Khovd were alerted to the burial site by local herdsmen, reported The Siberian Times.

The find will help form a deeper understanding of the native Turkik people in ancient Mongolia.

“The grave was located 2,803 metres above sea level,” said B Sukhbaatar.

“This fact and the cool temperatures helped to preserve the grave. The grave was three metres deep.

 

“The finds show us that these people were very skilled craftsmen.

“Given that this was the grave of a simple person, we understand that craft skills were rather well developed.”

The Altai Mountains unite Siberia, in Russia, and Mongolia, China and Kazakhstan.

Source: Mirror.co

Images: Will Stewart