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An elaborate grave belonging to a tall and fearsome warrior (illustrated) who lost his left arm in battle, has been unearthed in Russia

An elaborate grave belonging to a tall and fearsome warrior who lost his left arm in battle, has been unearthed in Russia.

The 11th century burial includes a death mask, arrows and the fang of a bear to highlight the strength and power of the warlord.

The man towered one foot (25cm) over his companions, but despite his bulk, his skeleton reveals that his arm was severed in his final battle.

Archaeologists discovered the remains of the man they named Bogatyr - meaning 'great warrior' - in an ancient burial mound near Omsk in south western Siberia.

He was buried with the tooth from a bear on his nose and his face was covered with a fabric death mask,The Siberian Times reported. 

Pockets in the mask contained metal fish figurines which had deliberately had their heads broken off. It is thought they may have some religious importance.

A decorated bronze plate lay on his chest inside a cover and experts think it was intended as a tool with which to communicate with the gods.

Bronze tools and 25 sharp metal arrows were found around his remains and a bronze cauldron complete with food at his feet, to help him in the afterlife.

Archaeologists also discovered fragments of leather and fur, which might have been part of the warrior's outfit, or from a quiver of arrows.

Mikhail Korusenko, of the Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, said the find came just as his team were finishing their research.

'Suddenly this warrior decided to meet with us,' he said, describing the find as 'sensational'.

The 11th century burial includes a death mask, arrows and the fang of a bear to highlight the strength and power of the warlord. A decorative bronze plate (pictured) was intended to be used to communicate with the gods, but experts don't think the warrior was a shaman - just a man of importance

He explained that a bridle placed beneath Bogatyr's head, suggests the warrior had been a skilled horseman.

Dr Korusenko said the warrior was killed in battle and his severed left arm placed beside his broken shoulder.

'He was buried according to ritual which means he was a respected person. All the elements of the ritual give us an opportunity to discover historical and political conditions of the epoch the warrior lived in'.

Bogatyr was thought to be around 40 years old when he was killed and was probably a member of the indigenous Khanty and Mansi peoples.

Experts think he would have stood out among them because of this height. At 5ft 11inches (180cm) he was significantly taller than many Siberian natives who were constantly trying to protect their homes from attack.

Dr Korusenko believes there is no doubt that the burial belonged to the Ust-Ishim culture and it was dated to the 11th and 12th centuries AD.

'It is a truly unique find which would allow us to fill pages about not only the cultural, but the military history of this part of the region, as we know very little about this particular period of time,' he said.

Archaeologists discovered the remains of the man they named Bogatyr, meaning great warrior, in an ancient burial mound near Omsk in south western Siberia (marked on the map)

Bronze tools and 25 sharp metal arrows were found around the warrior's remains at the site (pictured) and a bronze cauldron complete with food at his feet, to help him in the afterlife