Mongolian Bronze Age burial mounds reveal complex ritual economies beyond mass feasting narratives

Mongolian pastoralist communities historically viewed Khirigsuurs as sacred landscapes where ancestors mediated herd health and seasonal migrations. Oral traditions describe these sites as 'living archives' where rituals ensured the continuity of livestock lineages, a perspective absent in archaeological interpretations. Modern herders in Mongolia and Buryatia still perform offerings at these mounds, framing them as active participants in ecological cycles rather than relics of the past.

Khirigsuurs mirror broader Eurasian steppe traditions, such as the Scythian 'kurgans,' where burial mounds were central to political authority and trade networks. The Late Bronze Age collapse (1200–900 BCE) saw a shift from fortified settlements to mobile pastoralism, with monuments like Khirigsuurs serving as stabilizing nodes. Comparisons with the Andronovo culture reveal similar patterns of ancestor veneration tied to herd management and seasonal mobility.

In the Andes, *chullpas* (ancestor towers) served as ritual centers for camelid herding communities, linking burial practices to economic cycles. Among the Navajo, sheep are buried in sacred sites to honor their role in sustaining life, reflecting a cosmology where animals are kin. These examples highlight how pastoralist societies globally integrate death, consumption, and ecology into a unified worldview.

Stable isotope analysis of Khirigsuur faunal remains shows seasonal slaughter patterns, suggesting herd management rather than ad-hoc feasting. Geospatial studies reveal these mounds were strategically placed along ancient migration routes, indicating their role in resource redistribution. Recent work in Mongolia emphasizes the need for interdisciplinary approaches combining archaeology, ecology, and oral history to avoid reductive interpretations.

Mongolian *throat singing* and epic poetry (*tuuli*) often reference Khirigsuurs as places where the voice of the earth is heard, blending sound and landscape. Shamanic practices in Buryatia involve drumming at these sites to 'communicate' with ancestral herds, framing the mounds as portals between worlds. Contemporary artists like G. Mend-Ooyo reinterpret these sites as canvases for ecological storytelling, bridging past and present.

Khirigsuurs offer a model for resilient pastoralist systems, where ritual and economy are intertwined to adapt to climate variability. Climate projections for Mongolia suggest increased droughts may revive interest in these sites as nodes for communal resource management. Their study could inform modern 'rewilding' projects that integrate indigenous knowledge with conservation science.

Female herders in Mongolia, often excluded from archaeological narratives, play key roles in ritual practices at Khirigsuurs, such as milk offerings and divination. Post-Soviet land privatization has marginalized herders, eroding their access to these sites and their associated knowledge. Indigenous scholars like Ts. Batbold argue that these monuments are not just archaeological curiosities but living cultural landscapes requiring legal protection.