Natalia Polosmak facts for kids

Natalia Viktorovna Polosmak (Russian: Наталья Викторовна Полосьмак; born 12 September 1956) is a Russian archaeologist. She studies ancient people who lived in the Altay Mountains in Siberia, Russia. These people were nomads from the early Metal Age, especially those known as the Pazyryk Culture. They are sometimes called "Scythian" people. Natalia Polosmak is famous for finding and studying the Ice Maiden mummy. This discovery has led to important discussions between Russian scientists and the Altay people about respecting ancient sites and cultural heritage.

Discovering the Ice Maiden

In 1993, Natalia Polosmak was exploring the high Ukok Plateau. There, she made an amazing discovery: a female mummy frozen in permafrost. This mummy was very well preserved, even her clothes were still intact! Polosmak believed the mummy belonged to the Pazyryk culture.

Who were the Pazyryk people?

The Pazyryk were an Iron Age people. They lived in the Altay Mountains and on the Ukok Plateau. Many ancient burial mounds, called kurgans, have been found in this area. These mounds are linked to the Pazyryk culture. This group was very similar to the famous Scythian people who lived to the west. Digging at these sites has uncovered many interesting artifacts.

The Ice Maiden's Burial

Natalia Polosmak's famous find is known as the Ice Maiden. She found the mummy in an old burial mound that had not been disturbed before. It was special because it was a woman buried with full ceremonial honors. This was quite rare for a woman at that time.

The mummy had detailed tattoos. Experts believe she lived around 5th century BCE. She was dressed beautifully. She wore a black felt headdress that was still intact. It had decorations that showed her high social status. She also wore a necklace made of wooden camels and tall leather boots. Her dress was woven from camel hair and sheep's wool. It had braided tassels and was colored red using insect dye. Other tattooed mummies, from around 300 BC, were also found frozen in the permafrost at the site.

Respecting Ancient Sites

While Polosmak and her team were digging and carefully melting the ice around the artifacts, local people on the Ukok Plateau heard about it. They believed that disturbing the dead could bring bad luck. Some events, like a helicopter used to transport the mummy having an emergency landing, were seen by locals as a sign that the maiden did not want to be disturbed. An earthquake in the Altay in 2003 was also seen by some as bad fortune linked to disturbing the ancient burial sites. These beliefs highlight the importance of respecting cultural heritage and ancient traditions.

Articles by Polosmak

• The First Report on a Burial of a Noble Pazyryk Woman on the Ukok Plateau

See also

• Tarim mummies
• Pazyryk culture
• Siberian Ice Maiden