Remote Siberian region celebrates its culture
SHOTLIST
Tuva, July 28, 2008
1. Wide riders set off on horse race
2. Wide people watching
3. Wide riders ride into distance
4. Wide women preparing national dishes
5. Mid same
6. Mid woman stirs pot of liver
7. Wide same
5. Wide first riders return home
6. Cutaway boy films
7. Wide winner crosses finish line
8. Cutaway man recording winners
9. Wide winner sits on horse
10. Wide burial mound territory - Arzhan-2
11. Wide burial mound with exhibition yurt in background
12. Wide stones
13. Mid memorial stone in centre
14. Close up same
15. Wide women standing around stone
16. Set up Inna Mangush walks around stone
17. Close up hands in prayer
18. SOUNDBITE: (Russian) Inna Mangush, Arzhan-2 Museum Director
This land has been given the status of sacred Tuvan land. Here our ancestors the Scythians lived, their high culture raises the spirit of the Tuvan people to the same level as that of the Scythians
19. Mid Kurgan with exhibition yurt in background
20. Wide historical information on outside of yurt
21. Wide pan inside exhibition
22. Close up photo of remains
23. SOUNDBITE: (Russian) Inna Mangush, Arzhan-2 Museum Director
Our people are very interested in our history but archaeology is little studied in Tuva. The thorough study of the Tuvan kurgans began only some 20 years ago.
24. Mid wrestlers march onto field
25. Wide people watching
26. Wide wrestlers dance
27. Mid old women watching
28. Mid man announces contestants
29. Wide wrestling
30. Set up Devan Miller watching
31. Mid wrestlers finish bout
38. SOUNDBITE: (English) Devan Miller, Tour Guide
This is a traditional Tuvan sport, khuresh wrestling. You wear this costume and they grab hold of each other and try to make each other go to the ground. You can only touch the ground with your feet and it you touch with anything else you lose
39. Wide Devan miller wrestling
40. Wide girls in national dress watching
41. Mid same
42. Wide Devan Miller loses bout
43. SOUNDBITE: (English) Devan Miller, Tour Guide
This is something I like to participate in every time I come to Tuva. It's good to connect with the people and show how much I love their culture.
44. Mid young rider receives prize
45. Wide rides away
46. Set up Eric Smith
47. SOUNDBITE: (English) Eric Smith, Tourist
It's a beautiful country, it's a country of proud people who live off the land and there are not so many of those left in the world. So we have to do everything we can to help the people who still do protect it.
48. Wide people ride past Buddhist prayer rags
49. Close up Buddhist prayer rags
LEAD IN:
Sometimes referred to as the Siberian Shangri-la, the Russian region of Tuva is both remote and mysterious.
North of Mongolia and surrounded by mountains, after centuries of isolation, Tuva is now being explored by the rest of the world.
STORYLINE:
Tuva is one of 20 republics of the Russian Federation.
The size of Florida, only 300-thousand or so people live in this land of high plains and valleys surrounded by mountain peaks.
The Tuvan people are rightly proud of their Scythian ancestors, whose horses thundered across the Siberian steppe 2,700 years ago.
The Tuvans themselves are just as capable horsemen.
To celebrate the opening of the Arzhan-2 museum a day of traditional Tuvan sports was held in the valley.
Arzhan-2 is an undisturbed royal burial site dating from the Scythian period.
Two races were held - one 15 kilometre ( 9 mile) race for horses under 3 years old and a 25 kilometre (15.5 mile) race for older horses.
Historically Tuvans led a nomadic way of life, moving on horses from one settlement to another and the natural conditions of the republic are perfect for horse riding.
But Arzhan-2 was made entirely of stone.
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Yes, Scythians Are Us! (EngSubs)
In 2014 Russian TV channel Culture aired a documentary, looking through depth of time, trying to decipher who are Scythians, Sarmatians, Slavs and Russians, if they are one and the same people. The conclusion was mostly positive - yes, they are. The authors looked at the data from the chronicles, archaeology, linguistics and genetics, weighing arguments both for and against.
The film's conclusion is open, and in a typical Russian way advocating peace and cooperation of all peoples, whoever their ancestors may be.
The complete transcripts of the translation, as well as some additional materials can be found at my blog post:
Frozen tomb may contain ancient remains of Scythian royal
An untouched 'frozen tomb' that may contain the 2,800-year-old remains of Scythian royal has been discovered in Siberia.
The huge grave, which is perfectly preserved in permafrost, is wider than the length of a football field, and likely houses the remains of several Scythian royals.
The Scythians were a barbaric group of horse-riding nomads who dominated a vast stretch of Eurasia from around the ninth to first centuries BC.
They built no settlements and left no written record, so archaeologists have gleaned what little is known of them from the well-endowed tombs of their leaders.
Now scientists have discovered one of the oldest and largest Scythian graves ever found, which could also contain a record hoard of weapons and gold treasures.
Scroll down for video
The Scythians left behind a number of huge burial mounds, which they filled with gold jewellery, richly decorated cups, bronze arrowheads, and other goods.
Their contents are often exceptionally well-preserved for their age, with Siberia's permanently icy soil even keeping the tattooed skin of some corpses intact.
Researcher Dr Gino Caspari, from the University of Bern in Switzerland, discovered the enormous royal tomb while studying satellite data of the Uyuk Valley in Tuva, a Russian republic northwest of Mongolia.
The region is sometimes called the 'Siberian Valley of the Kings' due to the high number of Scythian tombs found there.
Dr Caspari told Newsweek that the grave, known as a kurgas, likely holds a hoard of well-preserved items because of the valley's underground layer of permafrost.
But the team will not break into the tomb until they complete detailed scans of its delicate contents.
'If it really turns out to be a permafrost tomb, we can hope for an exceptional preservation of objects that are usually not part of the archaeological record,' he said.
'Anything organic like wood carvings, felt items, clothing just to name a few. This would result in a much more vibrant look into the past than is usually possible.'
Using high-resolution satellite imagery, Dr Caspari spotted a circular structure in the middle of a swamp along Siberia's 'Uyuk River'.
The mound had a circular structure made of logs or wooden beams set beneath a thick layer of stones - a typical of Scythian kurgans.
Along with Russian colleagues, Dr Caspari visited the site and took samples of wood, which radiocarbon dating has since showed is more than 2,800 years old.
The team also measured the mound, which stretches 140 metres (460 ft) across, making it one of the largest, as well as one of the oldest, kurgans ever found.
'No other frozen kurgans of this size are known in Eurasia,' Dr Caspari and his colleagues write in their paper.
'It is, however, also [in] danger because with the global rise in temperature these treasures are in immediate risk of being lost.
'Large excavation campaigns need to be carried out throughout the next years to excavate the complete object and preserve the knowledge we can gain from it.'
Many Scythian graves have been looted over the centuries as locals cottoned on to the rich rewards stored inside.
During excavations at the tomb known as Arzhan 2 in the early 2000s, archaeologists found the amazingly intact bodies of a man and woman lying side by side among more than 9,000 golden objects.
But the newly found kurgan appears to have been left by looters as it is embedded in a remote area of deep Siberian swampland, the researchers said.
'The kurgan is five arduous hours by off-road vehicle from the nearest settlement,' Dr Caspari said.
He added that the grave gives researchers a 'huge chance' to learn more about this era of Eurasian prehistory.
Scythians | Wikipedia audio article
This is an audio version of the Wikipedia Article:
Scythians
Listening is a more natural way of learning, when compared to reading. Written language only began at around 3200 BC, but spoken language has existed long ago.
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- improves your listening skills
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- learn while on the move
- reduce eye strain
Now learn the vast amount of general knowledge available on Wikipedia through audio (audio article). You could even learn subconsciously by playing the audio while you are sleeping! If you are planning to listen a lot, you could try using a bone conduction headphone, or a standard speaker instead of an earphone.
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The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.
- Socrates
SUMMARY
=======
The Scythians (; from Greek Σκύθης, Σκύθοι), also known as Scyth, Saka, Sakae, Sai, Iskuzai, or Askuzai, were Eurasian nomads, probably mostly using Eastern Iranian languages, who were mentioned by the literate peoples to their south as inhabiting large areas of the western and central Eurasian Steppe from about the 9th century BC up until the 4th century AD. The classical Scythians known to ancient Greek historians, agreed to be mainly Iranian in origin, were located in the northern Black Sea and fore-Caucasus region. Other Scythian groups documented by Assyrian, Achaemenid and Chinese sources show that they also existed in Central Asia, where they were referred to as the Iskuzai/Askuzai, Saka (Old Persian: Sakā; New Persian/Pashto: ساکا; Sanskrit: शक Śaka; Greek: Σάκαι; Latin: Sacae), and Sai (Chinese: 塞; Old Chinese: *sˤək), respectively.The relationships between the peoples living in these widely separated regions remains unclear, and the term is used in both a broad and narrow sense. The term Scythian is used by modern scholars in an archaeological context for finds perceived to display attributes of the wider Scytho-Siberian culture, usually without implying an ethnic or linguistic connotation. The term Scythic may also be used in a similar way, to describe a special phase that followed the widespread diffusion of mounted nomadism, characterized by the presence of special weapons, horse gear, and animal art in the form of metal plaques. Their westernmost territories during the Iron Age were known to classical Greek sources as Scythia, and in the more narrow sense Scythian is restricted to these areas, where the Scythian languages were spoken. Different definitions of Scythian have been used, leading to a good deal of confusion.The Scythians were among the earliest peoples to master mounted warfare. They kept herds of horses, cattle and sheep, lived in tent-covered wagons and fought with bows and arrows on horseback. They developed a rich culture characterised by opulent tombs, fine metalwork and a brilliant art style.
In the 8th century BC, they possibly raided Zhou China. Soon after, they expanded westwards and dislodged the Cimmerians from power on the Pontic Steppe. At their peak, Scythians came to dominate the entire steppe zone, stretching from the Carpathian Mountains in the west to central China (Ordos culture) and the south Siberia (Tagar culture) in the east, creating what has been called the first Central Asian nomadic empire, although there was little that could be called an organised state.Based in what is modern-day Ukraine, Southern European Russia and Crimea, the western Scythians were ruled by a wealthy class known as the Royal Scyths. The Scythians established and controlled the Silk Road, a vast trade network connecting Greece, Persia, India and China, perhaps contributing to the contemporary flourishing of those civilisations. Settled metalworkers made portable decorative objects for the Scythians. These objects survive mainly in metal, forming a distinctive Scythian art. In the 7th century BC, the Scythians crossed the Caucasus and frequently raided the Middle East along with the Cimmerians, playing an important role in the political developments of the region. Around 650–630 BC, Scythians briefly dominated the Medes of the western Iranian Plateau, stretching their power to the borders of Egypt. After losing control over Media, the Scythians continued intervening in Middle Eastern affairs, playing a leading role in the destruction of the Assyrian Empire in the Sack of Nineveh in 612 BC. The Scythians subsequently engaged in frequent conflicts with the Achaemenid Empire. The western Scythians suffered a major defeat against Macedonia in the 4th century BC and were subsequently gradually conquered by the Sarmatians, a related Iranian people from Central Asia. The Eastern Scythians of the Asian St ...
Scythians | Wikipedia audio article
This is an audio version of the Wikipedia Article:
00:04:33 1 Names and terminology
00:07:00 2 Origins
00:07:08 2.1 Literary evidence
00:08:22 2.2 Archaeology
00:10:10 3 History
00:10:19 3.1 Classical Antiquity (600 BC to AD 300)
00:13:54 3.2 Sakas of the Eastern Steppe
00:18:19 3.3 Khotan and kingdoms of the Tarim Basin
00:20:19 3.4 Indo-Scythians
00:21:13 3.5 Late Antiquity
00:23:04 4 Archaeology
00:25:03 4.1 Kurgans
00:26:29 4.2 Pazyryk culture
00:27:36 4.3 Bilsk excavations
00:28:26 4.4 Tillia Tepe treasure
00:29:36 5 Culture and society
00:29:45 5.1 Tribal divisions
00:32:52 5.2 Warfare
00:34:35 5.3 Clothing
00:38:50 5.4 Art
00:41:52 5.5 Religion
00:42:37 6 Language
00:44:12 7 Physical appearance
00:46:31 8 Historiography
00:46:40 8.1 Herodotus
00:50:04 8.2 Strabo
00:51:56 8.3 Indian sources
00:52:14 9 Genetics
00:58:22 10 Legacy
00:58:30 10.1 Early Modern usage
01:01:41 10.2 Descent claims
01:04:04 11 Related ancient peoples
01:04:14 12 See also
Listening is a more natural way of learning, when compared to reading. Written language only began at around 3200 BC, but spoken language has existed long ago.
Learning by listening is a great way to:
- increases imagination and understanding
- improves your listening skills
- improves your own spoken accent
- learn while on the move
- reduce eye strain
Now learn the vast amount of general knowledge available on Wikipedia through audio (audio article). You could even learn subconsciously by playing the audio while you are sleeping! If you are planning to listen a lot, you could try using a bone conduction headphone, or a standard speaker instead of an earphone.
Listen on Google Assistant through Extra Audio:
Other Wikipedia audio articles at:
Upload your own Wikipedia articles through:
Speaking Rate: 0.8892019817280178
Voice name: en-AU-Wavenet-D
I cannot teach anybody anything, I can only make them think.
- Socrates
SUMMARY
=======
The Scythians (; from Greek Σκύθης, Σκύθοι), also known as Scyth, Saka, Sakae, Sai, Iskuzai, or Askuzai, were Eurasian nomads, probably mostly using Eastern Iranian languages, who were mentioned by the literate peoples to their south as inhabiting large areas of the western and central Eurasian Steppe from about the 9th century BC up until the 4th century AD. The classical Scythians known to ancient Greek historians, agreed to be mainly Iranian in origin, were located in the northern Black Sea and fore-Caucasus region. Other Scythian groups documented by Assyrian, Achaemenid and Chinese sources show that they also existed in Central Asia, where they were referred to as the Iskuzai/Askuzai, Saka (Old Persian: Sakā; New Persian/Pashto: ساکا; Sanskrit: शक Śaka; Greek: Σάκαι; Latin: Sacae), and Sai (Chinese: 塞; Old Chinese: *sˤək), respectively.The relationships between the peoples living in these widely separated regions remains unclear, and the term is used in both a broad and narrow sense. The term Scythian is used by modern scholars in an archaeological context for finds perceived to display attributes of the wider Scytho-Siberian culture, usually without implying an ethnic or linguistic connotation. The term Scythic may also be used in a similar way, to describe a special phase that followed the widespread diffusion of mounted nomadism, characterized by the presence of special weapons, horse gear, and animal art in the form of metal plaques. Their westernmost territories during the Iron Age were known to classical Greek sources as Scythia, and in the more narrow sense Scythian is restricted to these areas, where the Scythian languages were spoken. Different definitions of Scythian have been used, leading to a good deal of confusion.The Scythians were among the earliest peoples to master mounted warfare. They kept herds of horses, cattle and sheep, lived in tent-covered wagons and fought with bows and arrows on horseback. They developed a rich culture characterised by opulent tombs, fine metalwork and a brilliant art style.
In the 8th century BC, they possibly raided Zhou China. Soon after, they expanded westwards and dislodged the Cimmerians from power on the Pontic Steppe. At their peak, Scythians came to dominate the entire steppe zone, stretching from the Carpathian Mountains in the west to central China (Ordos culture) and the south Siberia (Tagar culture) in the east, creating what has been called the first Central Asian nomadic empire, although there was little that could be called an organised state.Based in what is modern-day Ukraine, Southern European Russia and Crimea, the western Scythians were ruled by a wealthy class known as the Royal Scyths. The Scythians established and controlled the Silk Road, a vast trade networ ...
Scythians | Wikipedia audio article
This is an audio version of the Wikipedia Article:
Scythians
00:04:43 1 Names and terminology
00:07:09 2 Origins
00:07:18 2.1 Literary evidence
00:08:33 2.2 Archaeology
00:10:24 3 History
00:10:33 3.1 Classical Antiquity (600 BC to AD 300)
00:14:13 3.2 Sakas of the Eastern Steppe
00:18:49 3.3 Khotan and kingdoms of the Tarim Basin
00:20:51 3.4 Indo-Scythians
00:21:48 3.5 Late Antiquity
00:23:44 4 Archaeology
00:25:45 4.1 Kurgans
00:27:15 4.2 Pazyryk culture
00:28:24 4.3 Bilsk excavations
00:29:15 4.4 Tillia Tepe treasure
00:30:27 5 Culture and society
00:30:37 5.1 Tribal divisions
00:33:51 5.2 Warfare
00:35:37 5.3 Clothing
00:40:02 5.4 Art
00:43:06 5.5 Religion
00:43:52 6 Language
00:45:31 7 Physical appearance
00:47:55 8 Historiography
00:48:04 8.1 Herodotus
00:51:35 8.2 Strabo
00:53:28 8.3 Indian sources
00:53:47 9 Genetics
01:00:04 10 Legacy
01:00:13 10.1 Early Modern usage
01:03:28 10.2 Descent claims
01:06:15 11 Related ancient peoples
01:07:02 12 See also
Listening is a more natural way of learning, when compared to reading. Written language only began at around 3200 BC, but spoken language has existed long ago.
Learning by listening is a great way to:
- increases imagination and understanding
- improves your listening skills
- improves your own spoken accent
- learn while on the move
- reduce eye strain
Now learn the vast amount of general knowledge available on Wikipedia through audio (audio article). You could even learn subconsciously by playing the audio while you are sleeping! If you are planning to listen a lot, you could try using a bone conduction headphone, or a standard speaker instead of an earphone.
You can find other Wikipedia audio articles too at:
You can upload your own Wikipedia articles through:
The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.
- Socrates
SUMMARY
=======
The Scythians (; from Greek Σκύθης, Σκύθοι), also known as Scyth, Saka, Sakae, Sai, Iskuzai, or Askuzai, were Eurasian nomads, probably mostly using Eastern Iranian languages, who were mentioned by the literate peoples to their south as inhabiting large areas of the western and central Eurasian Steppe from about the 9th century BC up until the 4th century AD. The classical Scythians known to ancient Greek historians, agreed to be mainly Iranian in origin, were located in the northern Black Sea and fore-Caucasus region. Other Scythian groups documented by Assyrian, Achaemenid and Chinese sources show that they also existed in Central Asia, where they were referred to as the Iskuzai/Askuzai, Saka (Old Persian: Sakā; New Persian/Pashto: ساکا; Sanskrit: शक Śaka; Greek: Σάκαι; Latin: Sacae), and Sai (Chinese: 塞; Old Chinese: *sˤək), respectively.The relationships between the peoples living in these widely separated regions remains unclear, and the term is used in both a broad and narrow sense. The term Scythian is used by modern scholars in an archaeological context for finds perceived to display attributes of the wider Scytho-Siberian culture, usually without implying an ethnic or linguistic connotation. The term Scythic may also be used in a similar way, to describe a special phase that followed the widespread diffusion of mounted nomadism, characterized by the presence of special weapons, horse gear, and animal art in the form of metal plaques. Their westernmost territories during the Iron Age were known to classical Greek sources as Scythia, and in the more narrow sense Scythian is restricted to these areas, where the Scythian languages were spoken. Different definitions of Scythian have been used, leading to a good deal of confusion.The Scythians were among the earliest peoples to master mounted warfare. They kept herds of horses, cattle and sheep, lived in tent-covered wagons and fought with bows and arrows on horseback. They developed a rich culture characterised by opulent tombs, fine metalwork and a brilliant art style.
In the 8th century BC, they possibly raided Zhou China. Soon after, they expanded westwards and dislodged the Cimmerians from power on the Pontic Steppe. At their peak, Scythians came to dominate the entire steppe zone, stretching from the Carpathian Mountains in the west to central China (Ordos culture) and the south Siberia (Tagar culture) in the east, creating what has been called the first Central Asian nomadic empire, although there was little that could be called an organised state.Based in what is modern-day Ukraine, Southern European Russia and Crimea, the western Scythians were ruled by a wealthy class known as the Royal Scyths. The Scythians established and controlled the Silk Road, a vast trade network connecting Greece, Persia, India and China, perhaps contributing to the contemporary flourishing of those civilisations. Settled metalworkers made portable decorative objects for the Scyt ...
Scythians | Wikipedia audio article
This is an audio version of the Wikipedia Article:
Scythians
Listening is a more natural way of learning, when compared to reading. Written language only began at around 3200 BC, but spoken language has existed long ago.
Learning by listening is a great way to:
- increases imagination and understanding
- improves your listening skills
- improves your own spoken accent
- learn while on the move
- reduce eye strain
Now learn the vast amount of general knowledge available on Wikipedia through audio (audio article). You could even learn subconsciously by playing the audio while you are sleeping! If you are planning to listen a lot, you could try using a bone conduction headphone, or a standard speaker instead of an earphone.
You can find other Wikipedia audio articles too at:
You can upload your own Wikipedia articles through:
The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.
- Socrates
SUMMARY
=======
The Scythians (; from Greek Σκύθης, Σκύθοι), also known as Scyth, Saka, Sakae, Sai, Iskuzai, or Askuzai, were Eurasian nomads, probably mostly using Eastern Iranian languages, who were mentioned by the literate peoples to their south as inhabiting large areas of the western and central Eurasian Steppe from about the 9th century BC up until the 4th century AD. The classical Scythians known to ancient Greek historians, agreed to be mainly Iranian in origin, were located in the northern Black Sea and fore-Caucasus region. Other Scythian groups documented by Assyrian, Achaemenid and Chinese sources show that they also existed in Central Asia, where they were referred to as the Iskuzai/Askuzai, Saka (Old Persian: Sakā; New Persian/Pashto: ساکا; Sanskrit: शक Śaka; Greek: Σάκαι; Latin: Sacae), and Sai (Chinese: 塞; Old Chinese: *sˤək), respectively.The relationships between the peoples living in these widely separated regions remains unclear, and the term is used in both a broad and narrow sense. The term Scythian is used by modern scholars in an archaeological context for finds perceived to display attributes of the wider Scytho-Siberian culture, usually without implying an ethnic or linguistic connotation. The term Scythic may also be used in a similar way, to describe a special phase that followed the widespread diffusion of mounted nomadism, characterized by the presence of special weapons, horse gear, and animal art in the form of metal plaques. Their westernmost territories during the Iron Age were known to classical Greek sources as Scythia, and in the more narrow sense Scythian is restricted to these areas, where the Scythian languages were spoken. Different definitions of Scythian have been used, leading to a good deal of confusion.The Scythians were among the earliest peoples to master mounted warfare. They kept herds of horses, cattle and sheep, lived in tent-covered wagons and fought with bows and arrows on horseback. They developed a rich culture characterised by opulent tombs, fine metalwork and a brilliant art style.
In the 8th century BC, they possibly raided Zhou China. Soon after, they expanded westwards and dislodged the Cimmerians from power on the Pontic Steppe. At their peak, Scythians came to dominate the entire steppe zone, stretching from the Carpathian Mountains in the west to central China (Ordos culture) and the south Siberia (Tagar culture) in the east, creating what has been called the first Central Asian nomadic empire, although there was little that could be called an organised state.Based in what is modern-day Ukraine, Southern European Russia and Crimea, the western Scythians were ruled by a wealthy class known as the Royal Scyths. The Scythians established and controlled the Silk Road, a vast trade network connecting Greece, Persia, India and China, perhaps contributing to the contemporary flourishing of those civilisations. Settled metalworkers made portable decorative objects for the Scythians. These objects survive mainly in metal, forming a distinctive Scythian art. In the 7th century BC, the Scythians crossed the Caucasus and frequently raided the Middle East along with the Cimmerians, playing an important role in the political developments of the region. Around 650–630 BC, Scythians briefly dominated the Medes of the western Iranian Plateau, stretching their power to the borders of Egypt. After losing control over Media, the Scythians continued intervening in Middle Eastern affairs, playing a leading role in the destruction of the Assyrian Empire in the Sack of Nineveh in 612 BC. The Scythians subsequently engaged in frequent conflicts with the Achaemenid Empire. The western Scythians suffered a major defeat against Macedonia in the 4th century BC and were subsequently gradually conquered by the Sarmatians, a related Iranian people from Central Asia. The Eastern Scythians of the Asian St ...
Kurgan | Wikipedia audio article
This is an audio version of the Wikipedia Article:
Kurgan
Listening is a more natural way of learning, when compared to reading. Written language only began at around 3200 BC, but spoken language has existed long ago.
Learning by listening is a great way to:
- increases imagination and understanding
- improves your listening skills
- improves your own spoken accent
- learn while on the move
- reduce eye strain
Now learn the vast amount of general knowledge available on Wikipedia through audio (audio article). You could even learn subconsciously by playing the audio while you are sleeping! If you are planning to listen a lot, you could try using a bone conduction headphone, or a standard speaker instead of an earphone.
You can find other Wikipedia audio articles too at:
You can upload your own Wikipedia articles through:
The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.
- Socrates
SUMMARY
=======
A kurgan (Russian: курга́н) is a tumulus, a type of burial mound or barrow, heaped over a burial chamber, often of wood. The Russian noun, which is already attested in Old East Slavic, is borrowed from an unidentified Turkic language, compare Modern Turkish kurğan, which means fortress. They are mounds of earth and stones raised over a grave or graves. Associated with its use in Soviet archaeology, the word is now widely used for tumuli in the context of Eastern European and Central Asian archaeology.
The earliest kurgans date to the 4th millennium BC in the Caucasus, and are associated with the Indo-Europeans. Kurgans were built in the Eneolithic, Bronze, Iron, Antiquity and Middle Ages, with ancient traditions still active in Southern Siberia and Central Asia. Kurgan cultures are divided archeologically into different sub-cultures, such as Timber Grave, Pit Grave, Scythian, Sarmatian, Hunnish and Kuman-Kipchak.
Many placenames contain the word kurgan.