Humanities & Social Sciences 4 (2015 8) 606-623 ~ ~ ~ УДК 393(571.1/5) Ecological Aspects of the Burial Rites Performed by Siberian Ethnic Groups: Sacral Topography of the Burial Sites of Narym Paleo-Selkups “Shieshgula” Yuri I. Ozheredov* and Alina Y. Ozheredova Tomsk City Museum 3 Bakunina Str., Tomsk, 634050, Russia Received 16.10.2014, received in revised form 20.12.2014, accepted 16.01.2015 This study is meant to be the start toa series of discussions relating to the complex subject of the “Ecological aspects in the burial rites performed by Siberian ethnic groups ”. <...> Taking into account that for aboriginals of Taiga, the symbolic or sacral attributes of living space had the same, if not greater, importance thanits practical aspects, the fi rst publication in the series focuseson the symbolism in the location of burial sites, that are specifi c in Selkup culture – one of the largest ethnos in the Samoyedic language group – resided in the northern part of Western Siberia. <...> The study is based on the materials relating to the 16th-17th centuries, however the actual time frame of the research is much wider: withmodern Selkupsat the top of the chronological scale and the Rjolkinskaya culture (VI-X centuries), linguistically related to the Samoyeds, at the bottom. <...> It was thereforedetermined, that Selkuptraditionswere formed on the basis of a complex cultural and ethnical conglomerate, comprising ofthe materials, linguistics and religious elements belonging to the aboriginals of Taiga and many other ethnic groups from neighboring territories present since the II century B.C. This study has thereforeengaged mainlyin the materials relating to the most archaeologically studied local dialectic group, thatof the“Shieshgula”. <...> Keywords: the Tomsk-Narym area near the Ob river, the Ob river itself, Chaya, Kjonga, Samoyedic groups, Selkup local-dialect groups“Shieshgula”, river fork, corner as the entrance to the underworld, burial rites, mourning rites. <...> All rights reserved * Corresponding author E-mail address: nohoister@gmail.com Yuri I. Ozheredov and Alina Y. Ozheredova. <...> Ecological Aspects of the Burial Rites Performed by Siberian Ethnic Groups… Introduction Geographical location of Narym Selkup burial grounds (necropoloi) The fi rst archaeological, as well as studies ethnographical of Selkupmedieval graveyards were initiated by P.I. Kutaf’ev <...>