The Noin-Ula Burials

In the Noin-Ula hills north of Ulaanbaatar in the Selenga basin, there are more than 200 Hun burial mounds dating from the 1st century BC to the 1st century AD. In 1924-1925 the expedition of the Russian explorer Pyotr Kozlov excavated the large mounds here. Thanks to frozen ground and seeping water, wood, felt and textiles had survived well.

The finds include felt carpets with scenes of animal combat, Chinese silks, embroideries in Central Asian and Greco-Bactrian style, and lacquerware. These objects show the Hun state's ties of trade and gift exchange reaching from China to the Mediterranean. Most of the finds are in the Hermitage in St Petersburg.