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House of Lords

The House of Lords is the upper chamber of the UK parliament. But what does it do?

The House of Lords is the upper chamber of the UK parliament, often referred to as the ‘revising chamber’. It has nearly 800 members that are appointed rather than elected. 

What does the House of Lords do?

The House of Lords has several key legislative and scrutiny functions. The Lords shares the task of passing and scrutinising legislation with the House of Commons. It also reviews and amends proposed legislation, carrying out more detailed examination of legislation than is provided for in the Commons.

The House of Lords oversees more general scrutiny work by questioning ministers, conducting inquiries and engaging in debates. There are various Lords select committees in that investigate specialised topics and publish reports, which can contribute to more informed policy decisions. 

Who is in the House of Lords?

There are 827 peers in the House of Lords as of August 2023, with 784 of peers eligible to attend proceedings (those on leave of absence or who hold certain outside roles such as sitting judges are still peers but ineligible to attend). Its size is not regulated by law, and it is the largest upper house in the world.

While there are different routes to joining the Lords , peers, unlike MPs in the Commons, are not elected by the public but are either appointed (formally by the monarch on the advice of the prime minister) or, in a small number of cases, sit in the Lords ‘by right’.

The vast majority are life peers who have been appointed for life, either as political appointees nominated by party leaders, or as crossbench peers unaffiliated to a party who are appointed for their expertise. Many have or have had  successful careers in business, culture, sports, academia, law, health, public service or politics. 

There are also 92 hereditary peers who continue to sit in the House of Lords ‘by right’ – that is, because of titles they have inherited. There used to be far more, but reforms in 1999 capped their number at 92. When a hereditary peer representing a political party dies or retires , a by-election among the other hereditary peers in their own party is held to choose their replacement. 

There are also 26 Lords spiritual, who are senior bishops of the Church of England. They include figures like the Archbishop of Canterbury and they also sit in the Lords by right. 

The average age of all eligible members of the Lords is 71, and over two thirds of this number are male (71 %). It is rare for a government to command a majority in the House of Lords. As of August 2023, the Conservatives are the largest party group with 270 eligible peers, along with 180 crossbench peers, 175 Labour peers, 84 Liberal Democrat peers, 25 bishops and 50 other peers (including peers from other parties, non-affiliated peers, and the Lord Speaker ). 

What powers does the House of Lords have?

The powers of the House of Lords today are limited by the Parliament Acts . The Lords has the power to delay a piece of legislation passed by the House of Commons for up to one year but cannot block a bill altogether. It is also unable to amend or initiate any ‘money bills’, which are bills that the Speaker of the Commons considers related to national taxation, public money or loans. 

The power of the Lords is further restricted by the Salisbury Convention, which says that the Lords should not block government bills that implement policies proposed in an election manifesto. However, the extent of the convention is subject to ongoing discussion. During the 2017–19 parliament, there was debate surrounding whether the Lords violated the Salisbury Convention when amending the European Union (Withdrawal) Bill and Data Protection Bill. 

The limits on the Lords’ power reflect the fact that it is the unelected chamber of parliament. However, the Lords still plays an important parliamentary role, particularly in shaping and refining legislation, and it is often referred to as a ‘revising chamber’. It frequently asks the House of Commons to ‘think again’ by tabling amendments to legislation that are then voted on by MPs. While it is uncommon for the government to be defeated on Lords amendments, it will often table its own amendments to address peers’ concerns. 

How has the Lords changed over time? 

The role and the size of the House of Lords has changed significantly over time. Until 1999, it was comprised primarily of hereditary peers and between the 1950s and 1990s, membership had increased from 850 to 1,200. The House of Lords Act 1999 reduced the number of hereditary peers entitled to sit in the House of Lords to 92 and established an independent House of Lords Appointment Commission (HOLAC) to oversee the appointment of independent expert crossbench members and to vet party political nominations. In 2000, Tony Blair said HOLAC would ensure the Lords were "more representative of our diverse society". These reforms were intended to be a first stage of reform, but the next stage was never completed. 

Since November 2000, some 673 peerages have been created, with most being political appointments. The Lords has increased in size from 690 peers in November 2000, to 827 peers in 2023.

Before 2009, the House of Lords was the highest court in the land. The Constitutional Reform Act 2005, separated the judiciary from parliament, removing the Lords’ judicial remit and passing it to the Supreme Court of the UK. In 2014, reforms were passed to enable peers to retire or resign in an effort to reduce the chamber’s size. 

What attempts at reform have there been?

Since 1999, there have been several unsuccessful attempts to reform the House of Lords, mostly due to disagreements over what should replace it. The 1997 Labour manifesto included a commitment to reform. When in government, the party established a royal commission chaired by Lord Wakenham recommending a mostly appointed, partly elected chamber. 

In 2003, the government held a series of indicative votes in parliament on a range of options, from a fully elected to a fully appointed Lords, to gauge desire for reform in the Lords and Commons. The Lords voted in favour of a fully appointed second chamber, while the Commons voted down every proposal for reform. In a second set of indicative votes, the Commons endorsed an elected chamber, while the Lords only voted again in favour of a full appointed chamber. Further cross-party talks took place, and a further white paper was published in 2008, but progress was halted by the 2010 general election which saw a change in government.

David Cameron’s coalition government also attempted to reform the House of Lords. In 2011, another white paper was published, setting out proposals for an 80% elected and 20% appointed chamber. However, the House of Lords Reform Bill 2012 was withdrawn after backbench Conservative MPs threatened to rebel. 

Since then, no further attempts at major reform have been made. The Lord Speaker’s committee on the size of the house, chaired by Lord Burns, set out proposals to reduce the size of the chamber by encouraging retirements and asking party leaders to exercise restraint in appointments. Most recently, in 2022, the Brown Commission, proposed a fully elected ‘Assembly of Nations and Regions’ and the Labour Party is expected to include Lords reform in its next manifesto.  

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British Parliament

By: History.com Editors

Updated: January 20, 2023 | Original: August 10, 2017

Parliament is the legislative body of the United Kingdom and is the primary law-making institution in Great Britain’s constitutional monarchy. The history of the legislative body—which meets in the Palace of Westminster in London—shows how it evolved almost organically, partly in response to the needs of the country’s reigning monarch. Parliament traces its roots back to the earliest meetings of English barons and commoners in the 8th century.

Parliament’s Humble Beginnings

The present-day Parliament is a bicameral (“two chambers”) legislature with a House of Lords and a House of Commons . These two houses, however, weren’t always joined, and had their earliest beginnings in the Anglo-Saxon council governments of the 8th century.

The Witan was a small council of clergymen, land-owning barons and other advisors chosen by the king to discuss matters of state, taxation and other political affairs. As it expanded to include more advisors, the Witan evolved into the magnum concilium or Great Council.

On a local level, “moots” were meetings of local bishops, lords, sheriffs and, importantly, commoners who were representatives of their counties or “shires.”

These institutions functioned—with varying degrees of success—as law-making bodies and law enforcement agencies throughout England during the Middle Ages . The two bodies didn’t regularly convene, but they paved the way to the bicameral legislature that exists today.

Magna Carta

The first English Parliament was convened in 1215, with the creation and signing of the Magna Carta , which established the rights of barons (wealthy landowners) to serve as consultants to the king on governmental matters in his Great Council.

As in the early Witans, these barons were not elected, but rather selected and appointed by the king. The Great Council was first referred to as “Parliament” in 1236.

By 1254, the sheriffs of the various counties in England were instructed to send elected representatives of their districts (knowns as “knights of the shire”) to consult with the king on issues related to taxation. Four years later, at the English university town of Oxford, the noblemen who served in Parliament at the time drafted the “Provisions of Oxford,” which called for regular meetings of the legislative body, composed of representatives from each of the counties.

In 1295, Parliament evolved to include nobles and bishops as well as two representatives from each of the counties and towns in England and, since 1282, Wales. This became the model for the composition of all future Parliaments.

Richard II Deposed

Over the course of the next century, the membership of Parliament was divided into the two houses it features today, with the noblemen and bishops encompassing the House of Lords and the knights of the shire and local representatives (known as “burgesses”) making up the House of Commons.

During this time, too, Parliament began to take on more authority within the English government. In 1362, for example, it passed a statute decreeing that Parliament must approve all taxation.

Fourteen years later, the House of Commons tried and impeached a number of the king’s advisors. And, in 1399, after years of internal struggle for power between the monarchy and Parliament, the legislative body voted to depose King Richard II, enabling Henry IV to assume the throne.

Parliament’s Power Expands

During Henry IV’s time on the throne, the role of Parliament expanded beyond the determination of taxation policy to include the “redress of grievances,” which essentially enabled English citizens to petition the body to address complaints in their local towns and counties. By this time, citizens were given the power to vote to elect their representatives—the burgesses—to the House of Commons.

In 1414, Henry IV’s son, Henry V , assumed the throne and became the first monarch to acknowledge that the approval and consultation of both houses of Parliament was required to make new laws. Still, all was not perfect in England’s fledgling democracy.

More than 100 years later, in 1523, philosopher and writer Sir Thomas More , a Member of Parliament (M.P. for short), was the first to raise the issue of “ freedom of speech ” for lawmakers in both houses during deliberations. A half-century hence, during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I in 1576, Peter Wentworth, M.P., made an impassioned speech arguing for the same right; he was sentenced to imprisonment in the Tower of London .

Wentworth, a Puritan , later clashed with Elizabeth I over issues related to freedom of religion during his time as an M.P., and he was jailed for these acts as well. It was this persecution that led the Puritans to leave England for the New World in the 1600s, helping to settle the 13 colonies that eventually became the United States.

English Civil War

For much of the 17th century, the United Kingdom experienced a great deal of change and political turmoil. Arguably, the one constant was Parliament.

From 1603 to 1660, the country was mired in a drawn-out civil war and, for a time, military leader Oliver Cromwell assumed power under the title Lord Protector. The ruling monarch at the time, Charles I , was executed in 1649.

Cromwell is best known for conquering Scotland (1649) and Ireland (1651) and bringing them, unwillingly, under the dominion of the United Kingdom. Still, those two nations had their own Parliaments, made up of Cromwell supporters.

Parliament continued to retain some power during this period of change. However, M.P.s who were thought to be loyal to Charles I were excluded from the legislature in 1648, creating the so-called “Rump Parliament.”

The Monarchy Abolished

In 1649, the House of Commons took the unprecedented step of abolishing the monarchy and declaring England a commonwealth.

Four years later, though, Cromwell disbanded the Rump Parliament and created the Nominated Assembly, a de facto legislature. Cromwell died in 1658 and was replaced by his son Richard. The son was deposed a year later, and Britain’s government effectively collapsed.

Charles I’s son, Charles II , was restored to the throne in 1660, reaffirming the monarchy’s place in British history.

New Parliamentary elections were held. And the M.P.s elected effectively held their seats for the next 18 years, during which no general election was called.

The Stuart Kings

The so-called “Stuart Kings”—Charles II and his brother James II, who succeeded him in 1685—maintained a similar relationship with the legislature as their father had in the 1640s. However, religion was a major issue dividing English government and society.

When Parliament passed the “Test Act,” which prevented Catholics from holding elected office, the legislature was at odds with King James II, himself a Catholic. After years of political in-fighting during the Glorious Revolution , Parliament deposed James II in 1689 and his eldest daughter Mary and her husband William of Orange ascended to the throne.

During their brief rule, Parliament was once again elevated to having law-making powers. In fact, when Mary and William died (in 1694 and in 1702, respectively), the legislature established new protocols for succession, and named George of Hanover king.

Parliament in Recent History

Over course of the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries, Parliament and its powers evolved—just as the United Kingdom itself did.

Scotland formally became a part of the United Kingdom in 1707, and thus sent representatives to the Parliament at Westminster . By the late 1700s, Ireland was also part of the United Kingdom (the six counties in the north of the island—known collectively as Ulster—remain part of the U.K. today), and land-owners there elected their own representatives to both houses of Parliament.

Through a series of legislative acts, known as the “Reform Acts,” a number of changes were made to the composition and legislative process in Parliament. The Reform Act of 1918 gave women the right to vote, and the first woman was elected to the body that same year.

However, Countess Constance Markievicz of Ireland was a member of Sinn Fein, the political party seeking independence for the island nation, and thus refused to serve.

Meanwhile, the Parliament Acts of 1911 and 1949 established greater powers for the House of Commons, which has 650 elected members, compared to the House of Lords, which has 90 members appointed via peerage (a system of titles for noblemen).

House of Lords

Today, the two houses of Parliament—the House of Lords and the House of Commons—meet in the Palace of Westminster in London, and are the only body in the United Kingdom’s constitutional monarchy government with the authority to create legislation and make laws.

The current monarch, King Charles III , still serves a ceremonial role as head of state, and the country’s executive branch is headed by the Prime Minister.

While the House of Lords can debate all bills that don’t deal directly with financial matters for the country, it is the House of Commons that holds the ultimate sway when it comes to whether legislation ultimately becomes law.

However, the House of Lords does play a role in government accountability, through its questioning of cabinet ministers and the formation of special committees to address important matters of state. Its members are now mostly appointees, not peers who inherit their seats in the House of Lords.

House of Commons

Today, all legislation must be approved by the House of Commons in order for it to become law. The House of Commons also controls taxation and the government’s purse strings. 

The public in the United Kingdom elects each of the 650 members of the House of Commons. And in a system somewhat different from that of the United States, government ministers (including the Prime Minister) must regularly answer questions in the House of Commons.

The Birth of English Parliament. Parliament.uk . A brief history of the UK Parliament. BBC News . The Civil War. HistoryofParliament.org . Stuarts. HistoryofParliament.org . Reform Era. HistoryofParliament.org . Legislative Procedure in the House of Commons. University of Leeds . Timeline: Constitutional crises in English and British history. Reuters .

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The House of Lords

Oct 15, 2014

260 likes | 589 Views

The House of Lords. By Baron Lazar, Esquire. Outline. Brief Background Current Structure & Functions Timeline of Reforms Current Reform Proposals Where are we now? Analysis Questions. Introductory thoughts…. The “best club in London”

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Presentation Transcript

The House of Lords By Baron Lazar, Esquire

Outline • Brief Background • Current Structure & Functions • Timeline of Reforms • Current Reform Proposals • Where are we now? • Analysis Questions

Introductory thoughts… • The “best club in London” • “The cure for admiring the House of Lords isto go and look at it.” Walter Bagehot, 1867 • “ The House of Lords, an illusion to which I have never been able to subscribe - responsibility without power, the prerogative of the eunuch throughout the ages.’’ – Tom Stoppard • Lords Reform goes to the heart of the debate about democracy: how do we decide the will of the people? • The House of Lords is an institution with a long and illustrious past, but a rather more uncertain future

Unreformed Structure of the Lords • 755 members • Hereditary Peers – Title inherited (dying breed) • Life Peers – Appointed by the Queen on advice of PM. Usually due to distinguished service in politics or society. • Law Lords – Senior Judges (no longer) • Lords Spiritual – Senior bishops from the Church of England

Other OppositionUKIP (3)Democratic Unionist Party (2)Plaid Cymru (2)Ulster Unionist Party (2)Green (1)Ind Lab (1)Ind L Dem (1)Lab Ind (1)L Dem Ind (1)OtherCrossbenchers (183)Non-affiliated(21) Lords Spiritual (25) HM Government     -Conservative Party (208)-Liberal Democrats (89)HM Most Loyal Opposition     -Labour Party (216)

Functions of the Lords • Initiate Legislation, except money bills • Can delay legislation for up to a year (financial legislation for only a month) • Provide Expertise – Titles bestowed for achievement • Questioning - Regular Question Times for government ministers in the Lords • Scrutinize – a “second pair of eyes”. Lords makes around 2,000 amendments a year to legislation, nearly all of which are accepted • Debate controversial issues - death penalty, gay rights, etc. • Used to have Law Lords. Not since 2009. • No veto power

Function: to slow or stymie ‘Elective Dictatorship’ • Term was coined by Lord Hailsham(aka Quintin Hogg, 1907-2011) in a public lecture. • Once in power an elected government is nearly always able to get its legislation passed by Parliament. • Westminster system means that a government will fall if defeated on a major vote of confidence. In consequence, party whips are able to ensure that the government’s legislative proposals are supported at every stage in the House of Commons. • PM and Cabinet effectively decide what will become law and Parliament nearly always rubber stamps the bills that come before it.

Comparisons with Commons

Timeline of Lords Reform • 1911: Parliament Act; the first major restrictions on the Lord’s power – Commons can pass money bills without Lords’ advice or consent. • 1949: Parliament Act; limits the delaying powers of Lords to 1 year • 1958: Women peers arrive • 1970s-80s: Labour party policy advocates abolition of Lords • 1992: Labour abandons abolition in favorof reform • 1999: Blair abolishes all but 92 hereditary peers • 2000: Wakeham Report recommends largely appointed chamber • 2001: White Paper • 2003: Queen’s speech advocated end to hereditary peers • 2007: White Paper • 2011: Lord Reform Bill published and debated

The Wakeham Report • Lord Wakeham(Conservative MP in Hof C, retired as Lord in 1994, Director of Enron, now Chancellor of Brunel University) • Asked by Labour government to head Royal Commission to investigate possible reforms to Lords. • Report made public in January 2000. • 132 wide-ranging proposals. Its main recommendations were…

The Wakeham Report, 2000 • Largely appointed House of 450-550members • independent commission to appoint members - removing PM patronage • Did not recommend an elected chamber • 15 year terms • 30% of members should be women • Fair representation of ethnic minorities • Broader religious representation • Small Number of regionally elected members

2001 White Paper • White Papers allow the Government an opportunity to gather feedback before it formally presents the policies as a Bill. • “A credible and effective second chamber is vital to the health of Britain's democracy... Our mission is to equip the British people with a Parliament and a constitution fit for the 21st century.” • Lords would remain subject to the pre-eminence of the Commons • Removal of 92 hereditary peers from Lords. • Greater representation of women and ethnic minorities. • 120 directly elected members to represent regions. • 120 independent members appointed by the Appointments Commission. • Large numbers of members appointed by political parties. • 2003, Lords and Commons debated the report. Results were…

After this series of votes 

2007 White Paper • New White Paper following discussions of a cross-party working group convened by Jack Straw, Leader of Commons • Elected members +members appointed by a new Statutory Appointments Commission • Any elected element would be elected under a regional list system • All elections and appointments would take place on a 5-year cycle, with one third of the House admitted at each intake to a fixed 15-year non-renewable term • Prohibits Lords from seeking election to Commons before a minimum amount of time had elapsed after the expiry of their term as Lord • Gradual transition, with no life peers forced to retire, but with the possibility of a redundancy package should they choose to do so.

Where are we now? • 2010 Lib-Dem Manifesto demanded a full elected Lords. • Conservative Manifesto demanded a mainly elected Lords. • 120 elected members • 30 appointed members • up to 21 bishops • Detailed proposals for Lords reform including a draft House of Lords Reform Bill were published on 17 May 2011. These include…

Where are we now? • 300-member hybrid house, of which 80% are elected. • 20% would be appointed, and reserve space would be included for some Church of England bishops. • Single non-renewable term of 15 years. • Elections to the reformed Lords should take place at the same time as elections to the Commons. • Elected Members should be elected using proportional representation. • Independent Members will be appointed by the Queen after being suggested by the Prime Minister acting on advice of an Appointments Commission. • The current powers of the House of Lords would not change and the Commons shall retain its status as the primary House of Parliament.

Analysis Questions • What does the British electorate think? • Overall, people support the House of Lords being replaced by an elected chamber: • 44% would prefer an mostly elected chamber • 32% a mixed elected and appointed chamber • 11% a chamber that was mostly appointed • Asked specifically about the proposal to make the Lords 80% elected: • 31% said this did not go far enough and the Lords should be entirely elected • 34% that the balance was about right • 10% that there should be a smaller elected element • 11% that there should be no elected element  • 52% of people said that while it was good idea, it should not be a priority at the moment given Britain’s other problems. 20% said the Lords works reasonably well and should be left alone. • Asked if there should be a referendum on the future of the Lords 55% of people said yes, 26% no …and how much should this matter?

Analysis Questions • Does this tradition warrant preservation? If it ain’t broke… • If both Houses are wholly or largely elected, does Commons lose it’s primacy? • Balance of Power? • Gridlock of two elected Houses? • Shouldn’t expertise and achievement count for something in politics? • How big should the Lords be? 150? 300? 450? Does it matter?

Analysis Questions • How should elected members be elected? PR? FPP SMDP? Party List? • What role should partisanship play in new Lords? • Does Lords have a natural and immutable Conservative bias? • Lords repeatedly voted against Labour Gov - defeated 97 times in 2001 • Why not just abolish the second House? Unicameral legislatures can work just fine (half of the world’s states are unicameral, as are all the devolved governments in the UK).

Analysis Questions • What is most democratic and what weight should the implications on democracy bear? • "Electing the second chamber is not self-evidently the democratic option – by dividing accountability it can undermine the capacity of the people to hold government to account (since policies may emerge for which it is not directly responsible) and can sweep away the very benefits that the present system delivers.? --Lord Norton – March 2012 • “We in the House of Lords are never in touch with public opinion. That makes us a civilised body.” -- Oscar Wilde, A Woman of No Importance

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Out of the Centre

Savvino-storozhevsky monastery and museum.

Zvenigorod's most famous sight is the Savvino-Storozhevsky Monastery, which was founded in 1398 by the monk Savva from the Troitse-Sergieva Lavra, at the invitation and with the support of Prince Yury Dmitrievich of Zvenigorod. Savva was later canonised as St Sabbas (Savva) of Storozhev. The monastery late flourished under the reign of Tsar Alexis, who chose the monastery as his family church and often went on pilgrimage there and made lots of donations to it. Most of the monastery’s buildings date from this time. The monastery is heavily fortified with thick walls and six towers, the most impressive of which is the Krasny Tower which also serves as the eastern entrance. The monastery was closed in 1918 and only reopened in 1995. In 1998 Patriarch Alexius II took part in a service to return the relics of St Sabbas to the monastery. Today the monastery has the status of a stauropegic monastery, which is second in status to a lavra. In addition to being a working monastery, it also holds the Zvenigorod Historical, Architectural and Art Museum.

Belfry and Neighbouring Churches

Located near the main entrance is the monastery's belfry which is perhaps the calling card of the monastery due to its uniqueness. It was built in the 1650s and the St Sergius of Radonezh’s Church was opened on the middle tier in the mid-17th century, although it was originally dedicated to the Trinity. The belfry's 35-tonne Great Bladgovestny Bell fell in 1941 and was only restored and returned in 2003. Attached to the belfry is a large refectory and the Transfiguration Church, both of which were built on the orders of Tsar Alexis in the 1650s.  

To the left of the belfry is another, smaller, refectory which is attached to the Trinity Gate-Church, which was also constructed in the 1650s on the orders of Tsar Alexis who made it his own family church. The church is elaborately decorated with colourful trims and underneath the archway is a beautiful 19th century fresco.

Nativity of Virgin Mary Cathedral

The Nativity of Virgin Mary Cathedral is the oldest building in the monastery and among the oldest buildings in the Moscow Region. It was built between 1404 and 1405 during the lifetime of St Sabbas and using the funds of Prince Yury of Zvenigorod. The white-stone cathedral is a standard four-pillar design with a single golden dome. After the death of St Sabbas he was interred in the cathedral and a new altar dedicated to him was added.

Under the reign of Tsar Alexis the cathedral was decorated with frescoes by Stepan Ryazanets, some of which remain today. Tsar Alexis also presented the cathedral with a five-tier iconostasis, the top row of icons have been preserved.

Tsaritsa's Chambers

The Nativity of Virgin Mary Cathedral is located between the Tsaritsa's Chambers of the left and the Palace of Tsar Alexis on the right. The Tsaritsa's Chambers were built in the mid-17th century for the wife of Tsar Alexey - Tsaritsa Maria Ilinichna Miloskavskaya. The design of the building is influenced by the ancient Russian architectural style. Is prettier than the Tsar's chambers opposite, being red in colour with elaborately decorated window frames and entrance.

At present the Tsaritsa's Chambers houses the Zvenigorod Historical, Architectural and Art Museum. Among its displays is an accurate recreation of the interior of a noble lady's chambers including furniture, decorations and a decorated tiled oven, and an exhibition on the history of Zvenigorod and the monastery.

Palace of Tsar Alexis

The Palace of Tsar Alexis was built in the 1650s and is now one of the best surviving examples of non-religious architecture of that era. It was built especially for Tsar Alexis who often visited the monastery on religious pilgrimages. Its most striking feature is its pretty row of nine chimney spouts which resemble towers.

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The Unique Burial of a Child of Early Scythian Time at the Cemetery of Saryg-Bulun (Tuva)

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Pages:  379-406

In 1988, the Tuvan Archaeological Expedition (led by M. E. Kilunovskaya and V. A. Semenov) discovered a unique burial of the early Iron Age at Saryg-Bulun in Central Tuva. There are two burial mounds of the Aldy-Bel culture dated by 7th century BC. Within the barrows, which adjoined one another, forming a figure-of-eight, there were discovered 7 burials, from which a representative collection of artifacts was recovered. Burial 5 was the most unique, it was found in a coffin made of a larch trunk, with a tightly closed lid. Due to the preservative properties of larch and lack of air access, the coffin contained a well-preserved mummy of a child with an accompanying set of grave goods. The interred individual retained the skin on his face and had a leather headdress painted with red pigment and a coat, sewn from jerboa fur. The coat was belted with a leather belt with bronze ornaments and buckles. Besides that, a leather quiver with arrows with the shafts decorated with painted ornaments, fully preserved battle pick and a bow were buried in the coffin. Unexpectedly, the full-genomic analysis, showed that the individual was female. This fact opens a new aspect in the study of the social history of the Scythian society and perhaps brings us back to the myth of the Amazons, discussed by Herodotus. Of course, this discovery is unique in its preservation for the Scythian culture of Tuva and requires careful study and conservation.

Keywords: Tuva, Early Iron Age, early Scythian period, Aldy-Bel culture, barrow, burial in the coffin, mummy, full genome sequencing, aDNA

Information about authors: Marina Kilunovskaya (Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation). Candidate of Historical Sciences. Institute for the History of Material Culture of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Dvortsovaya Emb., 18, Saint Petersburg, 191186, Russian Federation E-mail: [email protected] Vladimir Semenov (Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation). Candidate of Historical Sciences. Institute for the History of Material Culture of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Dvortsovaya Emb., 18, Saint Petersburg, 191186, Russian Federation E-mail: [email protected] Varvara Busova  (Moscow, Russian Federation).  (Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation). Institute for the History of Material Culture of the Russian Academy of Sciences.  Dvortsovaya Emb., 18, Saint Petersburg, 191186, Russian Federation E-mail:  [email protected] Kharis Mustafin  (Moscow, Russian Federation). Candidate of Technical Sciences. Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology.  Institutsky Lane, 9, Dolgoprudny, 141701, Moscow Oblast, Russian Federation E-mail:  [email protected] Irina Alborova  (Moscow, Russian Federation). Candidate of Biological Sciences. Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology.  Institutsky Lane, 9, Dolgoprudny, 141701, Moscow Oblast, Russian Federation E-mail:  [email protected] Alina Matzvai  (Moscow, Russian Federation). Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology.  Institutsky Lane, 9, Dolgoprudny, 141701, Moscow Oblast, Russian Federation E-mail:  [email protected]

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