NOVOSIBIRSK STATE PEDAGOGICAL UNIVERSITY
– The necropolis where the burial was discovered was located on the southern side of the court hut, where the fortress’s administrative activities took place. During the late 18th to early 19th centuries, when the necropolis was in use, infant mortality rates were around 20%, so the finding itself was not particularly surprising. However, we were intrigued by the unusual coffin. It featured two iron brackets, leading us to initially believe it was an imperial coffin - an iron box typically placed on the roof of a carriage. Later, I encountered similar children's coffins with staples from the same period at the Museum of Funeral Items in Vienna, - explains Doctor of Historical Sciences, Professor Andrey Pavlovich Borodovsky.
The coffin contained fragments of clothing, specifically a child's uniform, as well as some sewing, which was initially thought to be gold. In 2024, specialists resumed their examination of the fabrics in the laboratory of the Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography of the SB RAS, employing a modern energy-dispersive method. This powerful microscope allows for the examination of the smallest particles at 30-fold magnification and also enables the determination of their composition. The findings were published in issue No. 4 of the archaeological and ethnographic collection of the Institute of Humanitarian Research at Tyumen State University, titled Ab Origine for 2024.
- The embroidery that we initially believed to be gold was actually silver, or more specifically, it was made from a composition similar to electrum – an alloy of silver and gold with a greater proportion of silver. The base of the uniform was red, and remnants of the fabric were preserved where the sewing was attached – on the collar, cuffs, and sleeves. There were no buttons, indicating that the individual was dressed in a swinging frock coat with stitching that replicated elements of sewing, which transitioned from use by priests to the civilian sphere in the mid-18th century. All of this aligns with the traditions of children's uniforms from the 18th century. Silver embroidery on a red background was a feature of the uniforms worn by artillerymen and mining engineers. The second option is particularly relevant for the Umrevinsky fort: by the end of the 18th century, mining schools for the children of the elite began to emerge in the Russian Empire. In southern Western Siberia, the mining department held a particularly strong position, and in the early 19th century, its representatives created plans for the fort. Consequently, I believe we have discovered the burial of a child belonging to a high-ranking official in the mining department, possibly linked to the Kolyvano-Voskresensky factories. The boy could very well have been a student at the mining school. However, we will only be able to ascertain his identity and the circumstances of his death once we locate the birth register of the secular inhabitants of the fortress – we have already examined the birth records of the clergy, - says Andrey Pavlovich.
The archaeologist also considers another possibility: the boy may be the son of someone who travelled along the Moscow Highway. Although the Umrevinsky fortress was situated away from the road, if a child passed away during the journey, those who accompanied him might have stopped at the fortress to bury the body next to the church, which remained in operation until 1802.
For reference:
The mining school nearest to the Umrevinsky fort, which offered a 5-6 year programme based on elementary education, operated in Barnaul since 1785. It was originally intended for the children of nobles and officers, but from 1789, it also accepted graduates from mining schools of various social classes. The curriculum included subjects such as Geometry, Arithmetic, Algebra, Geography, Physics, Chemistry, Mineralogy, and Metallurgy. In the Humanities, students studied History, Grammar, Latin, German, and French. Graduates of this school had the opportunity to continue their studies in the VII and VIII courses at the St. Petersburg Mining School (which became the mining cadet corps in 1804) and qualify as engineers.
