Noyon Uul Sujigt Cemetery

Ноён уул

Mongolia · Töv

NecropolisIntermittent excavationUNESCO · 2026
Approximate period100 BCE — 100 CEXiongnu period; principally elite tombs See on the map ↓

In brief

The Noyon Uul cemeteries, also known as Noin-Ula, are famous for their large Xiongnu tombs with wooden chambers. In this record, which gives the coordinate of the Sujigt component, textiles preserved in the excavations and imported objects demonstrate connections with distant regions.

What was found?

  • 1Felt coverings and carpets

    Preserved felt floor coverings and appliqués with animal decoration have been found in the burial chambers. They offer insight into nomadic textile art that generally does not survive to the present.

  • 2Embroidered silk fabrics

    Burial goods include embroidered silks and fragments of clothing. They allow the materials used by the elite and their connections with distant regions to be investigated.

  • 3Chinese lacquer vessels

    Inscribed Chinese lacquer vessels have been recovered from the Noyon Uul tombs. Examples bearing production dates provide a basis for dating the burials.

  • 4Decorated horse harnesses

    These are ornate harness sets placed in tombs. They show the place of horse equipment among elite burial goods.

  • 5Wooden burial chambers

    Remains of wooden chambers built one inside another have been found. They allow the materials and construction techniques used in building deep tombs to be studied.

What does it point to?

The rich furnishings of the tombs indicate that the Xiongnu elite had access to products from China and other regions. Wooden chambers and preserved textiles show that nomadic life coexisted with advanced construction and handicrafts.

What did it teach us?

  1. The preservation of organic materials provided detailed evidence about Xiongnu clothing and textiles.
  2. It showed that Chinese-made lacquer vessels reached elite burials.
  3. It revealed that deep and complex tombs required substantial engineering knowledge and organized labor.

Record

Culture
Xiongnu
First modern dig
1924
Team / historical
Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences and Mongolian archaeologists
Coordinates
48.5624°, 106.5090°

Sources

  1. whc.unesco.org
  2. whc.unesco.org
  3. scfh.ru
  4. sciencedirect.com
  5. faculty.washington.edu

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