A 5000-year-old souslik fur garment from an elite megalithic tombe in the North Caucasus, Maykop culture

This paper presents the results of a unique fur garment from the megalithic tomb of a rich man in the Northwest Caucasus, dated to the Early Bronze Age, which was excavated in 1898 (Tsarskaya, Russia). The garment was made from the fur of a souslik group animal, most likely the ground squirrel. Direct radiocarbon dating puts the fur at around 4445 ± 35 BP (ca. 3300-3000 BC), making it the earliest known fur garment in Eastern Europe. The choice...