Minusinsk Basin

A steppe region on the upper Yenisei River in southern Siberia, surrounded by forested mountains. Very large numbers of burial mounds of different periods exist in the area and some 40,000 bronze objects survive in collections - presumably only a fraction of the number originally present. There were many mines in the Basin, worked as early as the 14th century BC.

An island of steppe on the upper Yenisei River in southern Siberia, surrounded by forested mountains. Very large numbers of burial mounds of different periods exist in the area and some 40,000 bronze objects survive in collections — presumably only a fraction of the number originally present. See Afanasievo, Andronovo, Karasuk and Tagar cultures.