- Russia, Barnaul, Altai State University. Department of archaeology and ethnography
- Archaeology, Early Medieval Archaeology, Central Asia, Old Turkic Culture, History, Medieval Studies, and 33 moreMedieval Archaeology, Archaeology of the Avars, Xinjiang, Turkic & Altaic Studies, Uyghurs, Old Turkic, Central Asian Societies, Old Turkish Literature, Medieval Central Asia and Iran, Ancient History, Medieval History, Ancient Turks, Ancient Turk and Uighur, Ancient Turkic sculpture, Central Asian Studies, Archaeology of Central Asia, Early medieval Eurasia, Nomad Archaeology, Social History, Funerary Archaeology, Early Medieval History, Burial Customs, Eurasian Nomads, Early Middle Ages (History), Altaic Studies, Early Iron Age, Social Archaeology, Archaeology Of The Migration Period And The Early Middle Ages, Inner Asian Studies, Burial Practices (Archaeology), Inner Asian History, Great Migration period, and Avar Ageedit
The monograph is devoted to a comprehensive analysis of materials obtained during excavations of the Karban-I necropolis of the Bulan-Koby archaeological culture in the Chemal region of the Altai Republic. A detailed description of the... more
The monograph is devoted to a comprehensive analysis of materials obtained during excavations of the Karban-I necropolis of the Bulan-Koby archaeological culture in the Chemal region of the Altai Republic. A detailed description of the results of field research is presented, as well as the possibilities of their chronological and ethno-social interpretation are demonstrated. The corpus of archaeological sources introduced into scientific circulation expands the understanding of various aspects of the history of the Altai population in the initial period of the Great Migration period.
The publication is intended for archaeologists, ethnographers, anthropologists and historians, and can also be recommended to students in classical universities at specialized faculties and institutes.
The publication is intended for archaeologists, ethnographers, anthropologists and historians, and can also be recommended to students in classical universities at specialized faculties and institutes.
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The monograph is devoted to a comprehensive analysis of the materials obtained in the study of a representative series of Early Turkic «memorial» objects in the Central and Eastern Altai. The results of the excavations carried out by the... more
The monograph is devoted to a comprehensive analysis of the materials obtained in the study of a representative series of Early Turkic «memorial» objects in the Central and Eastern Altai. The results of the excavations carried out by the Altai team of the South Siberian expedition from the Kemerovo State University under the leadership of A.S. Vasyutin in 1980–1984 to the sites of Bolshoy Kurmanak-I–II, Kok-Pash, Koo-I, Kudyrge, Nizhnyaya Sooru, Ust-Karasu have been introduced into scientific discourse. The study of those informative materials supplemented by data from other complexes of the second half of the 5th – first half of the 7th centuries AD, allowed us to present the results of reconstructing complex ethno-genetic and socio-cultural processes in Altai and adjacent areas in the Early Turkic period.
The publication is addressed to archaeologists, historians and ethnographers, as well as to students of classical universities in specialized faculties and anyone interested in various aspects of the study of Eurasian nomadic societies.
The publication is addressed to archaeologists, historians and ethnographers, as well as to students of classical universities in specialized faculties and anyone interested in various aspects of the study of Eurasian nomadic societies.
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В монографии представлен опыт реконструкции социальной истории населения Алтая в эпоху кочевых империй (II в. до н.э. – XIV в. н.э.). Осуществлен детальный анализ значительного объема материалов раскопок археологических комплексов,... more
В монографии представлен опыт реконструкции социальной истории населения Алтая в эпоху кочевых империй (II в. до н.э. – XIV в. н.э.). Осуществлен детальный анализ значительного объема материалов раскопок археологических комплексов, датирующихся в рамках II в. до н.э. – XIV в. н.э. В разделах книги последовательно рассмотрены возможности изучения процессов социогенеза носителей булан-кобинской археологической культуры, раннесредневековых тюрок и кыргызов Алтая, а также населения региона монгольского времени. Полученные результаты сопоставлены с ключевыми событиями этнополитической истории кочевников обозначенного региона, а также сопредельных территорий. Издание предназначено археологам, историкам, антропологам и этнографам, а также может быть рекомендовано обучающимся в классических университетах на профильных факультетах и всем интересующимся различными аспектами изучения кочевых обществ Евразии.
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The book presents the experience of studying of the foneral rite of the population of the Altai nomads in Hiungnu-Syanbi-Zhouzhan time and the early Middle Ages. The authors concerns result of the systematization and analysis of more than... more
The book presents the experience of studying of the foneral rite of the population of the Altai nomads in Hiungnu-Syanbi-Zhouzhan time and the early Middle Ages. The authors concerns result of the systematization and analysis of more than 900 graves belonging to different stages of Bulan-Koby and Turkic cultures. It became the base for reconstruction of ethno-cultural processes taking place in the Altai in II century BC – XI century AD.
Book is intended for experts in the field of archeology, history, ethnographies and cultural science, and also for a wide range of researchers studying the nomadic societies of Altai and adjacent territories.
Book is intended for experts in the field of archeology, history, ethnographies and cultural science, and also for a wide range of researchers studying the nomadic societies of Altai and adjacent territories.
Research Interests: Archaeology, Medieval History, Central Asian Studies, Eurasian Nomads, Early Medieval Archaeology, and 16 moreMedieval Archaeology, Death and Burial (Archaeology), Central Asia, Burial Practices (Archaeology), Nomadism, Archaeology of Central Asia, Central Asian Archaeology, Archaeology of burials, Archaeology of death and burial, Nomads, Burial Customs, Scythian and other Eurasian Nomadic Horse Warrior Cultures, Turkic peoples of Southern Siberia (Altay-Sayan), Altay Türkçesi, Nomadic/Indigenous People, and Turkic & Altaic Studies
The book deals with the theoretical and historical aspects of the study of elites in nomadic societies of Eurasia in Late Antiquity. Much attention is given to research methodology of elite groups in the sociopolitical organization of the... more
The book deals with the theoretical and historical aspects of the study of elites in nomadic societies
of Eurasia in Late Antiquity. Much attention is given to research methodology of elite groups in the sociopolitical organization of the nomads of South Siberia and Central Asia. Based on the analysis of archaeological material and written sources data for demarcation of various types of elites in societies of nomads is given. Special attention is paid to sacralization of rulers of nomads and the influence of the religious factor on the ideological basis of the legitimacy of power.
The publication will be useful to historians, specialists on religious studies, archaeologists, ethnographers and everyone who are interested in the social and political history of the nomadic peoples of Eurasia.
of Eurasia in Late Antiquity. Much attention is given to research methodology of elite groups in the sociopolitical organization of the nomads of South Siberia and Central Asia. Based on the analysis of archaeological material and written sources data for demarcation of various types of elites in societies of nomads is given. Special attention is paid to sacralization of rulers of nomads and the influence of the religious factor on the ideological basis of the legitimacy of power.
The publication will be useful to historians, specialists on religious studies, archaeologists, ethnographers and everyone who are interested in the social and political history of the nomadic peoples of Eurasia.
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В монографии демонстрируется современный опыт исследования ритуальных комплексов раннесредневековых тюрок, расположенных на территории Алтая. Отражены итоги систематизации и анализа таких объектов, а также представлены возможности их... more
В монографии демонстрируется современный опыт исследования ритуальных комплексов раннесредневековых тюрок, расположенных на территории Алтая. Отражены итоги систематизации и анализа таких объектов, а также представлены возможности их интерпретации. Издание рассчитано на специалистов в области археологии, истории, этнографии и культурологии, а также на широкий круг исследователей, занимающихся изучением кочевых обществ Алтая и сопредельных территорий.
Results in research of early medieval Turkic ritual complexes, located in the territory of Altai, are presented in the monograph. Experience of systematization and the analysis of such objects and also possibilities of their interpretation are demonstrated. Book is designed for experts in the field of archeology, history, ethnographies and cultural science, and also on a wide range of researchers studying the nomadic societies of Altai and adjacent territories.
Results in research of early medieval Turkic ritual complexes, located in the territory of Altai, are presented in the monograph. Experience of systematization and the analysis of such objects and also possibilities of their interpretation are demonstrated. Book is designed for experts in the field of archeology, history, ethnographies and cultural science, and also on a wide range of researchers studying the nomadic societies of Altai and adjacent territories.
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The monograph presents the experience of a study of structure of the society of Türks of Inner Asia on the 2nd half of the 1st millennium A.D. There had been analyzed a wide range of written and archaeological sources to show various... more
The monograph presents the experience of a study of structure of the society of Türks of Inner Asia on the 2nd half of the 1st millennium A.D. There had been analyzed a wide range of written and archaeological sources to show various aspects of a social history of the nomads. In essays contained in the book authors consequentially consider such features of the Türkic society as a kinship system, type of family, age stratification and gender differentiation. Possibilities for solving some of certain problems of the history of nomads, such as the existence of the institute of the comitatus, allotment of the strata of ministers of religion, and also characteristics of forms of social dependency, are demonstrated.
This book is intended for both the specialist in history and archaeology, and the general reader, those who are interested of various aspects of a history of nomadic societies of Inner Asia and adjacent territories.
This book is intended for both the specialist in history and archaeology, and the general reader, those who are interested of various aspects of a history of nomadic societies of Inner Asia and adjacent territories.
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Research Interests: Archaeology, Central Asian Studies, Eurasian Nomads, Early Medieval Archaeology, Turkish and Middle East Studies, and 9 moreDeath and Burial (Archaeology), Central Asia, Nomadism, Archaeology of Central Asia, Early Iron Age, Burial Customs, Archaeology Of The Migration Period And The Early Middle Ages, Ancient Turks, and Turkic peoples of Southern Siberia (Altay-Sayan)
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
В монографии подробно представлены результаты фиксации и изучения археологических памятников в урочище Уркош, расположенном на левом берегу Катуни в Онгудайском районе Республики Алтай (Россия). Проведенные исследования и полученные... more
В монографии подробно представлены результаты фиксации и изучения археологических памятников в урочище Уркош, расположенном на левом берегу Катуни в Онгудайском районе Республики Алтай (Россия). Проведенные исследования и полученные материалы позволяют охарактеризовать основные этапы разработанной культурно-хронологической схемы и рассмотреть традиционную систему жизнеобеспечения, сформировавшуюся в ходе освоения Центрального Алтая древними, средневековыми и современными животноводами.
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The article presents the study of the Dyalyan tradition of ritual practice characteristic of one of the groups of the Bulan-Koby archaeological culture of Altai in the last quarter of the 1st millennium BC – the first half of the 1st... more
The article presents the study of the Dyalyan tradition of ritual practice characteristic of one of the groups of the Bulan-Koby archaeological culture of Altai in the last quarter of the 1st millennium BC – the first half of the 1st millennium AD. The key features of this tradition are identified, the most significant of which is the burial of an individual oriented to the western sector of the horizon, accompanied by a horse laid “above” or “at the feet” of the buried individual. 45 similar burials localized in the northern and central Altai have been excavated to date. These burials demonstrate the features of the formation and evolution of the Dyalyan tradition throughout the entire period of the existence of the Bulan-Koby culture. This group of the population had the greatest importance in the pre-Turkic period (second half of the 4th – first half of the 5th centuries AD). New materials from the excavations of the Choburak-I necropolis, one of the demonstrative objects of which is published and analyzed in the article, confirm that in the nomads of Dyalyan tradition were representatives of the local elite in the Northern Altai. This is evidenced by the composition of the accompanying inventory from the studied burials which included advanced models of weapons and defensive armament, equipment for a person and a riding horse. The possibilities of reconstructing the historical fate of the Dyalyan tradition bearers are presented. It should be stressed that the characteristic features of the rite were not continued in the funeral practice of the early medieval Turks. The available rather fragmentary materials make it possible to outline the western direction of the migrations of the “Dyalyans” (probably as part of the Rouran community), as well as to make an assumption about their participation in the formation of certain population groups of the Srostki culture of the Forest-Steppe Altai.
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The article presents the study of the collection of bladed weapons, obtained during the excavations of the Rouran period burials on Choburak-I necropolis. This site is located in the Chemal district of the Altai Republic. The analyzed... more
The article presents the study of the collection of bladed weapons, obtained during the excavations of the Rouran period burials on Choburak-I necropolis. This site is located in the Chemal district of the Altai Republic. The analyzed series of weapons includes three swords and six combat knives found in the burials of four adult men and one teenager. It has been established that the complex of long-bladed weapons is represented by single-edged blades without crosshairs and pommel, with a semi-segmental tip. The surviving combat knives with a triangular blade section are divided into two types, distinguished by a straight handle and a handle inclined towards the blade. The published collection demonstrates typical examples of weapons of the nomads of Central Asia of the 4th – 5th centuries AD. New excavation materials confirm the thesis that swords were a status category of weapons among the population of Altai during the Great Migration period. Burials with such items, investigated as part of the Choburak-I necropolis, differed in the representative composition of the inventory, and, judging by the available data, belonged to military leaders or especially distinguished professional soldiers.
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The article presents the results of studying the collection of belt sets from the burials of the Bulan-Koby culture necropolis of Choburak-I, completely excavated by the expedition of Altai State University. This site is located in the... more
The article presents the results of studying the collection of belt sets from the burials of the Bulan-Koby culture necropolis of Choburak-I, completely excavated by the expedition of Altai State University. This site is located in the Chemal district of the Altai Republic, on the right bank of the Katun river. The published materials come from eleven undisturbed objects. The analyzed series is represented by iron objects: 17 buckles, 90 plaques, four tips, one distributor, five “blocks”, 14 fasteners. They find numerous analogies in the burial complexes of the Bulan-Koby culture of Altai in the 2nd — 5th centuries AD. A comparative study of the morphological features of the preserved metal parts made it possible to determine their relative chronology within the designated period. The study of the mutual occurrence of fixed categories of equipment became the basis for identifying several types of typesetting belts found in six burials. It has been established that the difference in the qualitative and quantitative composition of the belt sets is not related to the age and social status of the deceased men and, apparently, reflects the personal preferences of their owners. Belts from the graves of women, a teenager and a child were equipped with a minimum number of elements. The considered products demonstrate the variability in the design of belts by the population of the Northern Altai in the Rouran period. Archaeological data from the excavations of the Choburak-I site confirm the previously identified trends in the evolution of the equipment of the population of Altai at the turn of late antiquity and the early Middle Ages.
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The article covers how the materials discovered by excavations in Kurgan No. 32 of Choburak-1 complex are introduced in scientific use and how they are interpreted from the cultural, chronological and so- cial point of view. This monument... more
The article covers how the materials discovered by excavations in Kurgan No. 32 of Choburak-1 complex are introduced in scientific use and how they are interpreted from the cultural, chronological and so- cial point of view. This monument includes items of various chronological periods and lays on the right bank of the Katun River, Chemalsky District, the Republic of Altai. The monument is explored by the archaeological expedition of the Altai State University. The above-ground structure of Kurgan No. 32 is a small oval bulk of soil fringed with a crepidoma. A shallow grave is discovered with an intact human body buried face-up with the head pointed North-West. The person is buried with a horse at the foot. The body is surrounded with multiple items discovered by excavations. There are various types of weapon, equipment items, tools and horse harness pieces. The research finds above-ground and underground structures. The ritualistic evidence indicates that the find belongs to the Dyalyan burial tradition born by the Bulan-Koby culture people. The found items are ana- lysed to establish the latest ones (trigonal armor-piercing arrow heads, iron parts of a combat knife scabbard, belt buckle clamps, girth buckle with a movable swivel prong, saddle edges). Besides, radiocarbon dating al- lows to date the burial back to the middle – second half of 4 century AD. The list of the items found beside the body (in particular, infighting bladed weapon and equipment) shows that this particular person used to have a high social status when still alive. Even though he was inferior to professional warriors buried in Choburak-1 necropolis.
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Archaeological complexes of Altai dated by the Great Migration Period indicate a high level of militarization of nomads. According to available materials, most of the male population was involved in the military activities. In the... more
Archaeological complexes of Altai dated by the Great Migration Period indicate a high level of militarization of nomads. According to available materials, most of the male population was involved in the military activities. In the materials of individual necropolises, burials with a representative composition of weapons are distinguished, which confirm the hierarchy among the soldiers. The article presents one of such extraordinary burials and its interpretation in the context of contemporary ideas of the ethnocultural and social history of the Altai nomads.
The authors concern the features of ritual practice and the complex of finds revealed during the excavation of mound no. 39 of the Karban-I necropolis, located in Northern Altai. The recorded characteristics indicate that the object belongs to the Bulan-Koby archaeological culture. Morphological analysis of weapons, equipment, tools and their comparison with materials from the complexes of Central Asia became the basis for determining the dating of the object in the framework of the 2nd – 3rd centuries AD.
It has been established that the burial of kurgan no. 39 belongs to the Karban tradition, which has become widespread among the population of the Bulan-Koby culture in the Northern Altai. According to the composition of the inventory, the deceased man was a professional warrior. In addition, there is some reason to believe that he has a skill in carpentry. During his lifetime, this person belonged to a prosperous stratum of ordinary pastoralists who left the Karban I necropolis and other synchronous sites of Northern Altai.
The authors concern the features of ritual practice and the complex of finds revealed during the excavation of mound no. 39 of the Karban-I necropolis, located in Northern Altai. The recorded characteristics indicate that the object belongs to the Bulan-Koby archaeological culture. Morphological analysis of weapons, equipment, tools and their comparison with materials from the complexes of Central Asia became the basis for determining the dating of the object in the framework of the 2nd – 3rd centuries AD.
It has been established that the burial of kurgan no. 39 belongs to the Karban tradition, which has become widespread among the population of the Bulan-Koby culture in the Northern Altai. According to the composition of the inventory, the deceased man was a professional warrior. In addition, there is some reason to believe that he has a skill in carpentry. During his lifetime, this person belonged to a prosperous stratum of ordinary pastoralists who left the Karban I necropolis and other synchronous sites of Northern Altai.
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The article is devoted to the social interpretation of the features of the internal layout of the pre-Turkic period necropolis of Choburak-I. This burial ground is localized as part of a multi- temporal complex situated on the right bank... more
The article is devoted to the social interpretation of the features of the internal layout of the pre-Turkic period necropolis of Choburak-I. This burial ground is localized as part of a multi- temporal complex situated on the right bank of the Katun river, near the Elanda village, in the Chemal region of the Altai Republic. It includes 12 undisturbed mounds that were excavated by an archaeological expedition from Altai State University under the guidance of one of the authors of the article. It has been established that most of the elements of planigraphy of the studied site reflect the universals of the burial practice of the population of the Bulan-Koby culture of Altai in the last quarter of the 1st millennium BC — first half of the 1st millennium AD. These include placing mounds in a small area in several dense rows, elongated in the meridional direction with a significant deviation, separate location of the graves of men and women, and compact location of burials of people with similar social status. It was revealed that there was no influence of the age factor on the location of the burials of adults of both sexes. An indicative characteristic of the necropolis is the location of burials of men with different lifetime social status throughout their lifetime within three separate groups of mounds.
Research Interests: Archaeology, Social Archaeology, Social Organisation (Archaeology), Death and Burial (Archaeology), Burial Practices (Archaeology), and 5 moreGreat Migration period, Social Complexity (Archaeology), Burial Customs, Scythian and other Eurasian Nomadic Horse Warrior Cultures, and Nomadic/Indigenous People
The article publishes the evidence from excavation of grave 18 of the Gorny-10 necropolis and gives its chronological interpretation. This site, located in Krasnogorsk District of the Altai Krai, was researched in 2000–2003, and presently... more
The article publishes the evidence from excavation of grave 18 of the Gorny-10 necropolis and gives its chronological interpretation. This site, located in Krasnogorsk District of the Altai Krai, was researched in 2000–2003, and presently can be considered a basic complex for studying various aspects of history of the population living in Southwestern Siberia in the Early Middle Ages. This object is a heavily destroyed burial of an adult woman with a fairly representative inventory, which included mainly jewelry and elements of outfit. The most important part of material complex is five Chinese coins. They belong to four types which were minted at different times over several centuries. Along with fairly common specimens, a chang-pin u-zhu coin was discovered; its analogies occur rarely at the sites of North and Central Asia. It has been established that the discovery of the kai-yuan tong-bao coin which defines the terminus post quem for this object, is of key importance for dating grave 18. This find, judging by its features, dates back to a period of not earlier than 627. Taking into account the time needed for the coin to reach the forest-steppe Altai, the burial in grave 18 was most likely made after the 630s. The analysis of the material complex has made it possible to limit the upper date of this object to the late 7th – early 8th century. The time when grave 18, located on the southern periphery of the Gorny-10 necropolis, was made, shows the approximate period of development in this part of the complex and demonstrates the opportunities for clarifying chronology at the entire site.
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Purpose. This article studies bits and cheek-pieces belong to the mass categories of riding horse equipment from the archaeological sites of Altai of 2nd century BC – 5th century AD. These finds, taking into account the rarity of such... more
Purpose. This article studies bits and cheek-pieces belong to the mass categories of riding horse equipment from the archaeological sites of Altai of 2nd century BC – 5th century AD. These finds, taking into account the rarity of such materials from synchronous sites in adjacent territories, are an important source for the reconstruction of horse equipment of the nomads of Central and North Asia. The article presents the analysis of a series of bits and cheek-pieces from objects of the Rouran period of the Choburak-I necropolis.
Methods and Results. The analyzed collection includes nine bits and five cheek-pieces. The basis of the study was the morphological analysis and classification of items of horse equipment, as well as the comparison of these finds with materials from neighboring territories. Two types of bits and two types of cheek-pieces are distinguished, demonstrat- ing common and special features of the manufacture of bridle sets by the population of Northern Altai in the Rouran period. A comparative study made it possible to determine their dating and genesis.
Conclusion. It has been established that bits and cheek-pieces are an important chronological marker for further clarification of the periodization of the archaeological sites of Altai. It is concluded that the horse equipment of the Bulan-Koby archaeological culture had a significant impact on the appearance of this category of objects among the early Turks. The results obtained expand the existing ideas about the evolution of horse equipment among the nomads of Asia in the middle of the 1st millennium AD.
Methods and Results. The analyzed collection includes nine bits and five cheek-pieces. The basis of the study was the morphological analysis and classification of items of horse equipment, as well as the comparison of these finds with materials from neighboring territories. Two types of bits and two types of cheek-pieces are distinguished, demonstrat- ing common and special features of the manufacture of bridle sets by the population of Northern Altai in the Rouran period. A comparative study made it possible to determine their dating and genesis.
Conclusion. It has been established that bits and cheek-pieces are an important chronological marker for further clarification of the periodization of the archaeological sites of Altai. It is concluded that the horse equipment of the Bulan-Koby archaeological culture had a significant impact on the appearance of this category of objects among the early Turks. The results obtained expand the existing ideas about the evolution of horse equipment among the nomads of Asia in the middle of the 1st millennium AD.
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The article presents the results of the study of one of the rather rare groups of findings – bone (antler) parts of whips, revealed during the excavations of the objects of the Rouran period necropolis on the Choburak-I burial site. This... more
The article presents the results of the study of one of the rather rare groups of findings – bone (antler) parts of whips, revealed during the excavations of the objects of the Rouran period necropolis on the Choburak-I burial site. This complex, studied by the Altai State University expedition, is located in the Chemal district of the Altai Republic. The details of the whips, that make up the most numerous series of such items from the published objects of the Bulan-Koby culture, come from the burials of four men and one teenager (barrows 29a, 30a, 31, 32, 38). The morphological analysis of the finds, their classification and comparison with materials from the sites of North and Central Asia of the early Iron Age and the Middle Ages made it possible to determine the functional characteristics of the objects, among which parts of handles and ends of whips, as well as knobs (end-pieces) of crops were identified. The chronology of different types of items within the first half of the I millennium AD has been specified. It was found that crops with knobs (end-pieces) in the form of massive tubes were material culture indicative elements of the Altai nomads in the second half of the IV – the first half of the V centuries AD. The thesis that whips were a stable marker of the burial set of the male population of the region under consideration in the Great Migration period is confirmed.
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The article presents the publication and diverse interpretation of materials from the excavations of the enclosures of the Ak-Dag complex, located in the Erzin district of the Tuva Republic. The objects under study were investigated by... more
The article presents the publication and diverse interpretation of materials from the excavations of the enclosures of the Ak-Dag complex, located in the Erzin district of the Tuva Republic. The objects under study were investigated by the archaeological expedition under the leadership of M.Kh. Mannay-ool in 1961. Despite the importance of the information obtained during the excavations, these data were not published and were not used in the development of well-known concepts of the history of the region. The article provides a detailed description of the studied enclosures, as well as an analysis of the fixed features of structures, elements of ritual practice and inventory items. It has been established that the dating of objects can be determined by the framework of the second half of the 5th – 6th centuries AD with the possibility of narrowing the chronology, taking into account the known historical context, to the middle – the second half of the 6th century AD. The Ak-Dag enclosures, as well as other, so far a very few complexes of Tuva of this period, testify to the emergence in this region of a new population group, close in tradition to the Altai nomads. There is every reason to assert that these processes are associated with the military campaigns of the Turks, which led to the creation of the First Khaganate.
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The article introduces into scientific discourse cultural, chronological and social interpretation of the warrior burial, investigated during the excavations of the necropolis of the Bulan-Koby Culture of the Choburak-I funerary and... more
The article introduces into scientific discourse cultural, chronological and social interpretation of the warrior burial, investigated during the excavations of the necropolis of the Bulan-Koby Culture of the Choburak-I funerary and ritual complex. The site is located on the right bank of the Katun River, to the south from the Elanda village of Chemal district, Altai Republic. During the research, a burial of a man with a horse and accompanying equipment, including a representative set of weapons (bow, a large number of arrows with iron tips, a sword, two combat knives), a belt decorated with numerous belt fittings, horse equipment, and other items were studied. A detailed description of the finds, including both widespread and very rare types of items, has been carried out. The indi- cated circle of analogies from the sites of the Bulan-Koby Culture of Altai, as well as complexes excavated in ad- jacent territories, allows us to determine the date of burial mound No30 to the 4th c. AD. This conclusion is con- firmed by the results of radiocarbon dating of a series of objects from the Choburak-I necropolis. The complex of elements of ritual practice indicates that the burial mound belongs to the previously identified Dialyan burial tradition of the Altai population of the end of the 1st mil. BC — first half of the 1st mil. AD. This is suggested by the combination of the following features: an oval mound with a crepidoma, inhumation burial rite, northwest orientation of the deceased, accompanying of the deceased by a horse laid “at the feet” of the person and its orientation with its head in the same direction as the deceased, inner grave construction in the form of a deck. The composition of the grave goods allows us to conclude that the buried man was of a high social status, possibly a warrior who commanded a large unit of professional warriors, and also, possibly, the leader of a local group of pastoralists who left the Choburak-I necropolis. Some peculiar features of the analysed complex reflect the ideological paradigm of the Bulan-Koby population, such as placement into the grave of a broken (disassembled?) bow and a large number of arrows, covering the person’s body at the time of the burial.
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The article presents a characteristic of a series of items discovered during excavations of the Rouran period necropolis at the Choburak-I burial ground. This multi- temporal site, located in Northern Altai, was studied by the expedition... more
The article presents a characteristic of a series of items discovered during excavations of the Rouran period necropolis at the Choburak-I burial ground. This multi- temporal site, located in Northern Altai, was studied by the expedition of Altai State University. As part of the numerous inventory of 12 undisturbed burials, the finds are distinguished that are rare for the subject complex of the population of the Bulan-Koby culture. These include an iron cauldron, a collection of items made of bone and horn (a comb, an arrowhead, a cosmetic brush, claps, fasteners for elements of horse equipment), as well as stone whorls. It has been established that these finds demonstrate the original characteristics of the material culture of the nomads of the Northern Altai in the Rouran period. Some finds at the same time testify to the influence of the traditions of the “Bulan-Kobins” on the formation of the appearance of some functional sets of the early Turks (the second half of the 5th–7th centuries AD).
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The article presents the results of the study of one of the peculiar burials of the Rouran period of the Choburak-I complex. A compact necropolis of 12 objects was excavated by the expedition of the Altai State University on the area of... more
The article presents the results of the study of one of the peculiar burials of the Rouran period of the Choburak-I complex. A compact necropolis of 12 objects was excavated by the expedition of the Altai State University on the area of this multi-time monument located in the Chemal district of the Altai Republic. The burial of an elderly man (over 55 years old) with a horse and representative inventory, including weapons, horse equipment, tools and household items, was investigated in kurgan No. 31a. It has been established that the object in question belongs to the Dialyan tradition of the funeral rite of the population of the Bulan-Koby culture. The analysis of the inventory, as well as the results of radiocarbon dating, make it possible to date the kurgan No. 31a to the middle-second half of the 4th century AD. The new materials are compared with the data interpreted earlier during the reconstruction of the Bulan-Koby social structure. It has been established that the elderly man during his lifetime belonged to the prosperous stratum of the society of the nomads of the Northern Altai. The preservation by this individual of all the attributes of a full-fledged member of society could be explained both by his individual characteristics and by the fact that he was a representative of a local group that made up the local elite of the nomads of the Rouran зукшщв.
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The paper is aimed at introducing into the scientific discourse and complex interpretation of the weapon items discovered during excavations of the sites of the Bulan-Koby archaeological culture of the Karban-I ne- cropolis. This site,... more
The paper is aimed at introducing into the scientific discourse and complex interpretation of the weapon items discovered during excavations of the sites of the Bulan-Koby archaeological culture of the Karban-I ne- cropolis. This site, which comprises a series of burial mounds of the Great Migration Period, was partially investigated by the expedition of Barnaul State Pedagogical Institute in 1989–1990. The complex is located on the left bank of the Katun River, 1.7 km north-west of Kuyus village, in Chemalsky District of the Altai Republic. Weapons were found in five undisturbed male burials of the Xianbei period (mounds No 9, 11, 14, 33, 39). The finds ana- lyzed include long-range and close-range weapons: five compound bows; 14 iron arrowheads; four iron combat knives; and one dagger. Morphological analysis and classification of the objects, as well as their comparison with known artefacts of the last quarter of the 1st mil. BC — the first half of the 1st mil. AD from the sites of Central, Inner, and North Asia became the basis for conclusions concerning the determination of the dating of the pro- ducts. It has been found that the complex of weapons of the nomads who built the necropolis of the Bulan-Koby Culture at the mouth of the Karban River, was aimed at efficient countering of a lightly protected enemy and was appropriate for light cavalry and infantry. It includes both the already well-known (Xiungny) and new (local) modifi- cations of the offensive weapons. In terms of its diversity and level of development, this set of weaponry was sig- nificantly inferior to the military arsenals of the Xiongnu and Xianbei periods, as well as that of the population of the Bulan-Koby Culture of the late 3rd — 5th c. AD. The body of the conclusions made permits it to assume that the considered corpus of weapons reflects the initial stage of the evolution of the armament of the Altai population in the first half of the 1st mil. AD. The published materials expand the source base for the study of warfare of the population of Northern Altai in the Xianbei period. The obtained results of the chronological interpretation of diffe- rent categories of weapons can be used to refine the periodization of the sites of the Belo-Bom stage (2nd — 1st half of the 4th c. AD) of the Bulan-Koby Culture.
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The article presents the results of the analysis and interpretation of materials of the warrior burial from mound No. 9 of the Karban-I necropolis of the Bulan-Koby culture, excavated in 1989 by the expedition of the Barnaul State... more
The article presents the results of the analysis and interpretation of materials of the warrior burial from mound No. 9 of the Karban-I necropolis of the Bulan-Koby culture, excavated in 1989 by the expedition of the Barnaul State Pedagogical Institute (now the Altai State Pedagogical University). This complex is located in the Chemal district of the Altai Republic, on the left bank of the Katun River, 1.7 km northwest of the Kuyus village. The recorded features of the burial structures (mound with an oval- shaped crepe-laying, a shallow grave pit, a stone box) and the method of inhumation (a single corpse lying on the back, the orientation of the deceased to the western sector of the horizon, without the accompanying burial of a horse) testify to the belonging of this object to the Karban ritual tradition of the Altai population in II century BC – V century AD. The authors carried out a detailed description of the accompanying inventory, represented by weapons (bow, iron arrowhead, dagger), equipment (belt buckles), tools (bone arrowheads, knife, awl) and jewelry (beads). Mutual occurrence of items made it possible to date the considered burial by the early Xianbei period (II – first half of 3rd centuries AD). It is concluded that the buried man belonged to the ordinary population of the Bulan-Koby society, apparently, to its prosperous part. This individual could be part of a group of professional warriors who made up the lightly armed cavalry. The published data expand the range of sources for studying the evolution of the society of pastoralists of the Northern Altai in the first third of the I millennium AD, and also update the conduct of research aimed at identifying burial sites of the early stage of the White-Bom stage of the Bulan-Koby culture.
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The article presents the materials of horse burial, excavated as part of the Chazy complex. The study of this site, located in Western Tuva, was carried out by the expedition of the Tuva Research Institute of Language, Literature and... more
The article presents the materials of horse burial, excavated as part of the Chazy complex. The study of this site, located in Western Tuva, was carried out by the expedition of the Tuva Research Institute of Language, Literature and History under the leadership of M.Kh. Mannai-ool in 1969. The authors concern a detailed description of the published object attributed to the archaeological culture of the early medieval Turks. Peculiar features of the horse burial are the absence of a skull, as well as a position of animal on the back. The dating of the complex, based on the time of existence of the discovered iron stirrups, is determined within the second half of the 7th–8th centuries AD. It has been established that this object remains the only under- kurgan horse burial of the Early Middle Ages excavated on the territory of Tuva. It has been suggested that the appearance of such a tradition in the designated region is associated with the influence of the Altai Turks. Such sites are quite widespread there.
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The article presents the results of the systematization and chronological interpretation of bone (horn) arrowheads found during excavations of the Xianbei time burials of the Karban-I necropolis. This complex is located in the Chemal... more
The article presents the results of the systematization and chronological interpretation of bone (horn) arrowheads found during excavations of the Xianbei time burials of the Karban-I necropolis. This complex is located in the Chemal region of the Altai Republic. The published collection includes 26 bone (horn) arrowheads from seven burial kurgans. As a result of morphological analysis and classification of 23 items of good and satisfactory preservation, nine types were identified. There are both already known and specific modifications that have no analogies in the materials of the Bulan-Koby culture. Comparative study of general, special and individual morphological features made it possible to determine the relative chronology of the items. It was found that the arrowheads from Karban-I necropolis are not genetically related to the bone-cutting traditions of the Pazyryk culture population and represent the local development of specimens that appeared in the Xiongnu (2nd century BC–1st centuryAD) and Xianbei (2nd –1st half of the 4th century AD) time. A series of “experimental” specimens with a separately made bone whistle (types 1b, 4b), which represent a simplified technology for making tips with a one- piece bushing whistle (type 7a), have been identified. It is noted that arrowheads with a sleeve (type 8a) and clamping attachments (type 9a) have rather rare structural elements. Additional evidence was obtained that the population of Altai in the Xianbei time could use arrows with bone tips not only for hunting purposes, but also as a weapon to defeat a weakly defended enemy.
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The article is devoted to the introduction into scientific circulation and cultural and chronological interpretation of object No. 20 of the Karban-I necropolis. This complex, located in the Chemal district of the Altai Republic, was... more
The article is devoted to the introduction into scientific circulation and cultural and chronological interpretation of object No. 20 of the Karban-I necropolis. This complex, located in the Chemal district of the Altai Republic, was partially explored in 1989–1990 by expedition of the Barnaul State Pedagogical University (now Altai State Pedagogical University). During the excavations of mound No. 20, located in the western part of the necropolis, a burial of a young woman in a stone box was revealed. An analysis of the recorded signs of ritual practice allows us to attribute this object to the Biyke archaeological culture of the early Scythian period. The appearance of the accompanying inventory, which includes a few decorations, as well as a metal mirror, is also characteristic of the object complex of the nomads of the indicated period. Taking into account the recorded characteristics of the complex, as well as the results of radiocarbon dating, it seems possible to determine the period of construction of the published burial within the second half of the 8th — first half of the 6th centuries BC.
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We describe a representative series of Chinese coins found during the excavations at Gorny-10, carried out by expeditions from the Altai State University in 2000–2003. The coins were found in eight burials (No. 6, 18, 44–46, 48, 62, 66).... more
We describe a representative series of Chinese coins found during the excavations at Gorny-10, carried out by expeditions from the Altai State University in 2000–2003. The coins were found in eight burials (No. 6, 18, 44–46, 48, 62, 66). Because of its composition and diversity, the sample is unusual for North and Central Asia. It includes 29 specimens, relating to various groups. Apart from coins of the Wǔ-zhū and Kāi-yuán Tōng-bǎo types, which are rather common outside China, there are very rare ones belonging to the Cháng-píng Wǔ-zhū and Wǔ-xíng Dà-bù categories. A numismatic analysis allowed us to date separate burials and the entire cemetery. The lower date of most burials (No. 6, 45, 46, 48, 62, 66) cannot be earlier than AD 581, as evidenced by Sui coins of the Wǔ-zhū type. Burials 18 and 41, where Kāi-yuán Tōng-bǎo coins were found, are later than the 630s. In view of additional data (absence of late issues of Kāi-yuán Tōng-bǎo coins, and results of radiocarbon analysis), burials at Gorny-10 date to late 6th and 7th centuries. Notably, coins were found only in burials of women and children. Their location suggests that they were head ornaments, parts of belt sets, as well as pendants and amulets.
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We describe a silver coin found in one of the burials at Gorny-10 cemetery in northern Altai, excavated by expeditions from the Altai State University in 2000–2003. The coin was discovered in a destroyed burial of children (No. 46) along... more
We describe a silver coin found in one of the burials at Gorny-10 cemetery in northern Altai, excavated by expeditions from the Altai State University in 2000–2003. The coin was discovered in a destroyed burial of children (No. 46) along with other informative artifacts, which are rather uncommon in such burials. Judging by horse harness and ornaments, the assemblage falls in the interval from the late 6th to early 8th century AD. The coin is an imitation of the drachm of the Sasanian shah Pērōz I to classify as type or emission 287, according to R. Göbl, that is one of the most common types of Hephthalite coins. The elemental concentration of the specimen has a high content of silver and no gold. The specimen has no analogs in North or Central Asia. It could have been brought to the forest-steppe Altai by Türks, who conquered the Hephthalite Empire in the first decades of the late 6th century AD.
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The article presents the results of the study of the materials obtained during excavations of the early Turkic enclosure at the Chichke-I site. This multi-temporal archaeological complex, located 13 km southwest of the Kurai village of... more
The article presents the results of the study of the materials obtained during excavations of the early Turkic enclosure at the Chichke-I site. This multi-temporal archaeological complex, located 13 km southwest of the Kurai village of the Kosh-Agach district of the Altai Republic, studied in 1982– 1983 by the Ongudai detachment of the Altai archaeological expedition of Altai State University. Enclosure 159, located in the northeastern part of the site, was one of the studied objects. During the excavations it was found out that the basis of this structure is a quadrangular enclosure, the sides of which consisted of 18 vertically installed slabs. In the central part of the object, at a depth of 0.35 m from the surface, an iron bit, a stirrup, a knife with the remains of a wooden handle, and an animal bone were found. An analysis of the fixed structures and a few accompanying inventory made it possible to date the enclosure to the end of the 5th — 6th centuries AD, with a possible narrowing of the indicated chronology to the framework of the first half of the 6th century AD. The materials obtained during the excavations of this object expand the range of sites of the initial stage in the history of the Turks of Central Asia, and also supplement the still rather fragmentary information about the features of the ritual practice and material culture of the nomads of the indicated period.
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The article presents the main results of the study and interpretation of materials from the excavations of the necropolis of the Bulan-Koby culture, investigated at the Karban-I archaeological complex in Northern Altai. Information is... more
The article presents the main results of the study and interpretation of materials from the excavations of the necropolis of the Bulan-Koby culture, investigated at the Karban-I archaeological complex in Northern Altai. Information is given about the recorded elements of the funeral rite, the dating of the site, as well as some aspects of the history of the population that left it.
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The article presents the publication and diverse interpretation of materials from the excavations of grave 24 of the Gorny-10 necropolis. This site located in the Krasnogorsk District of the Altai Territory was investigated in 2000–2003.... more
The article presents the publication and diverse interpretation of materials from the excavations of grave 24 of the Gorny-10 necropolis. This site located in the Krasnogorsk District of the Altai Territory was investigated in 2000–2003. Currently, it may be considered as a basic complex for the study of various aspects of the history of population of southwestern Siberia of the early Medieval Ages. The published complex is a single burial of an adult male with a fairly representative set of items, including weapons, jewelry and costume elements, as well as horse equipment. The analysis of the finds and their comparison with known materials from the sites of Northern and Central Asia made it possible to date the burial to the 7th century AD. The revealed set of items testifies to the rather high lifetime status of the deceased person. It was found that a similar situation is generally characteristic of single burials in the region of the Great Migration period and the beginning of the early Middle Ages, some of which reflected the peculiarities of the material culture of the social elite. There are grounds for asserting that elements of horse equipment, and not only rare toreutics (bridle decorations), but also standard functional items, were social markers of various levels in the ritual practice of the population of the forest-steppe Altai of the period under consideration. Further systematic analysis of materials from already known sites as well as expanding the available data through excavations will allow for a more detailed consideration of various aspects of the social history of population of the southwestern Siberia.
Keywords: forest-steppe Altai, early Middle Ages, horse equipment, chronology, social history, burial rite.
Keywords: forest-steppe Altai, early Middle Ages, horse equipment, chronology, social history, burial rite.
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In this article we introduce into scientific discourse and provide diverse interpretation of the extraordinary burial of a young man of 13–15 years old, investigated during the excavation of the necropolis of the Bulan-Koby Archaeological... more
In this article we introduce into scientific discourse and provide diverse interpretation of the extraordinary burial of a young man of 13–15 years old, investigated during the excavation of the necropolis of the Bulan-Koby Archaeological Culture within the Choburak-I funeral and memorial complex. This site is located on the right bank of the Katun River, 3.6 km south from the Elanda Village in the Chemal District, Altai Republic. The unique nature of this object (mound no. 29a) is determined by the presence of a full-fledged “male” inventory with the deceased, including long-range weapons (bow and arrows with iron tips) and close combat (knife in a scabbard), items of equipment (belt buckles, distributors, fasteners), whip with a bone handle. In addition, a bone comb was discovered in the grave, which is traditionally an attribute of grave goods in female burials of the Altai population of the Xianby-Rouran period. At the same time, there was no riding horse in the burial, which was a mandatory attribute of funeral practice for full-fledged members of society. A comparative study of different categories of weapons, equipment, tools and household utensils, as well as comparison of the obtained results with radiocarbon dates, made it possible to establish the chronology of the published complex within the second half of the 4th — first half of the 5th c. AD. In the context of the funeral rite of adult population who used the Choburak-I burial ground, the grave of an adolescent from mound no. 29a belongs to the Dyalyan tradition, whose representatives were the elite of the society of cattle breeders in the Northern Altai during the Rouran period. The analysis of the obtained materials testifies to the special (“transitional”) individual status of the deceased person in the nomadic society of the Bulan-Koby Culture in the middle of the 1st mil. AD. Probably, the specificity of the deceased's life position was determined, on the one hand, by reaching a certain age and belonging to a fairly wealthy family, and by limitations in physical development recorded in the course of anthropological research, on the other hand.
Keywords: Altai, Bulan-Koby Culture, Rouran period, burial, chronology, interpretation, social history.
Keywords: Altai, Bulan-Koby Culture, Rouran period, burial, chronology, interpretation, social history.
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Purpose. Important evidence of external contacts of the Altai population in the early Middle Ages is the “imported” items found during excavations of archaeological sites. Most of these products show a different kind of relationship with... more
Purpose. Important evidence of external contacts of the Altai population in the early Middle Ages is the “imported” items found during excavations of archaeological sites. Most of these products show a different kind of relationship with China. Much more fragmentary is the material evidence of contacts of nomads in other directions. Therefore, it is quite clear that any new information in this regard requires separate consideration and detailed interpretation. This ar- ticle presents the characteristics of a little-known metal mirror from the collection of the Biysk Museum of Local Lore after V. V. Bianki.
Results. The study of the museum documentation made it possible to establish that the mirror was discovered as a re- sult of excavations or collections carried out by M. D. Kopytov in 1924 near the Ust-Bolshaya Rechka village (Blizniye Elbany complex) in the Forest-Steppe Altai. According to the available data, this find, as well as a number of other items, may come from a destroyed burial. The key characteristic of the mirror ornamentation is small circular circles with a dot in the center. The range of analogies to the subject under consideration, which is not characteristic of the material culture of the Altai population, indicates its “western” or Central Asian origin. A kind of “inscription” ap- plied to an object over a circular ornament, probably, is an imitation of an Arabic benevolent inscription.
Conclusion. Analysis of the mirror, as well as other objects, presumably originating from the destroyed burial, allows attributing this object to the Srostki archaeological culture and dating within the framework of the end of the 1st – the beginning of the 2nd millennium AD with a possible narrowing of the designated chronology by the boundaries of the 10th century AD. A set of items (mirror, two-piece fastener, button, beads, etc.) demonstrates a female burial, built for a representative of the elite of the early medieval society of the Forest-Steppe Altai.
Keywords: metal mirror, Altai, Srostki archaeological culture, early Middle Ages, social history, museum
Results. The study of the museum documentation made it possible to establish that the mirror was discovered as a re- sult of excavations or collections carried out by M. D. Kopytov in 1924 near the Ust-Bolshaya Rechka village (Blizniye Elbany complex) in the Forest-Steppe Altai. According to the available data, this find, as well as a number of other items, may come from a destroyed burial. The key characteristic of the mirror ornamentation is small circular circles with a dot in the center. The range of analogies to the subject under consideration, which is not characteristic of the material culture of the Altai population, indicates its “western” or Central Asian origin. A kind of “inscription” ap- plied to an object over a circular ornament, probably, is an imitation of an Arabic benevolent inscription.
Conclusion. Analysis of the mirror, as well as other objects, presumably originating from the destroyed burial, allows attributing this object to the Srostki archaeological culture and dating within the framework of the end of the 1st – the beginning of the 2nd millennium AD with a possible narrowing of the designated chronology by the boundaries of the 10th century AD. A set of items (mirror, two-piece fastener, button, beads, etc.) demonstrates a female burial, built for a representative of the elite of the early medieval society of the Forest-Steppe Altai.
Keywords: metal mirror, Altai, Srostki archaeological culture, early Middle Ages, social history, museum
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The article presents the excavation materials of a series of Turkic enclosures of the Kudyrge complex located in the Eastern Altai. These objects were investigated by the expedition under the leadership of A.S. Vasyutin in 1982. A... more
The article presents the excavation materials of a series of Turkic enclosures of the Kudyrge complex located in the Eastern Altai. These objects were investigated by the expedition under the leadership of A.S. Vasyutin in 1982. A detailed description of the studied early medieval enclosures was made based on the information presented in the reporting documentation on the results of excavations. An analysis of the recorded features of the structures, as well as the discovered objects, became the basis for the conclusion on the dating of structures within the second half of the 5th–6th centuries AD and attributing them to the initial stages in the development of the Turkic archaeological culture. It was established that the materials reflect both local traditions related with the nomads of the Syanbi-Rouran time and innovations that indicate the arrival of a new population group in the territory under consideration. Published objects, as well as other complexes, demonstrate the necessity of further field studies of the sites in East Altai dated by the pre-Turkic and Early Turkic periods for the reconstruction of complicated processes of cultural genesis in the Central Asian region in the middle of the 1st millennium AD.
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The article is devoted to the publication of materials of objects No50–51 of the Nizhnyaya Sooru complex in Central Altai excavated by the Altai detachment of the South Siberian archaeological expedition of Kemerovo State University under... more
The article is devoted to the publication of materials of objects No50–51 of the Nizhnyaya Sooru complex in Central Altai excavated by the Altai detachment of the South Siberian archaeological expedition of Kemerovo State University under the direction of A.S. Vasyutin in 1981. A detailed description of the research results is presented, including a description of the features of the location of these objects, as well as the identified ground and internal grave structures. It has been established that the design features of the excavated objects make it possible to connect them with the population of the Afanasyevskaya archaeologi- cal culture of the Eneolithic period. The most significant feature is the annular enclosure of vertically placed slabs, which is a distinctive characteristic of the traditions of that community. A distinctive feature of the complexes is the absence of burials, which allows them to be interpreted, observing the norms of funeral rituals, as a kind of cenotaphs. The obtained materials demonstrate the prospect of further excavations at the Nizhnyaya Sooru burial ground, taking into account the presence of similar unexplored objects on this site, as well as the location of the settlement complex of the Afanasyevskaya culture nearby.
Key words: Central Altai, Eneolithic, Afanasyevskaya culture, excavations, cenotaph, enclosure
Key words: Central Altai, Eneolithic, Afanasyevskaya culture, excavations, cenotaph, enclosure
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Серегин Н.Н., Тишкин А.А., Матренин С.С., Паршикова Т.С. Коллекция железных орудий труда из погребений жужанского времени комплекса Чобурак-I (Северный Алтай) // Сохранение и изучение культурного наследия Алтайского края. Барнаул: Изд-во... more
Серегин Н.Н., Тишкин А.А., Матренин С.С., Паршикова Т.С. Коллекция железных орудий труда из погребений жужанского времени комплекса Чобурак-I (Северный Алтай) // Сохранение и изучение культурного наследия Алтайского края. Барнаул: Изд-во Алт. ун-та, 2021. Вып. XXVII. C. 287–295.
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The article concerns a series of bone (horn) saddle facings discovered during excavations of archaeological complexes of Altai of the Roruan period (2nd half of the 4th — 1st half of the 5th centuries AD). This category of objects, as... more
The article concerns a series of bone (horn) saddle facings discovered during excavations of archaeological complexes of Altai of the Roruan period (2nd half of the 4th — 1st half of the 5th centuries AD). This category of objects, as well as the saddles of nomads in the Asian region at the turn of antiquity and the Middle Ages, have been investigated rather fragmentarily, which is mainly explained by the state of the source base. Saddle facings were found in the burials of three necropolises of the Roruan period, belonging to the Bulan-Koby culture of Altai. The most numerous collection of such items was revealed during the excavations of the Choburak-I complex. The article provides a detailed description of these products, which represent the upper end edging of bow saddles. A significant similarity of the published elements of horse equipment with the finds from the sites of the early medieval Turks of the 2nd half of the 5th — early 8th centuries is noted. The question of the functions of saddle facings, taking into account the well-known fragmentation of the available materials, is still open. It seems possible to admit both a decorative and a utilitarian purpose of the products.
Key words: Altai, Rouran period, horse equipment, saddle facing, archaeological complex, Bulan-Koby culture.
Key words: Altai, Rouran period, horse equipment, saddle facing, archaeological complex, Bulan-Koby culture.
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The paper is devoted to the publication and cultural and chronological interpretation of images on a fragment of a stele which was a part of the Nizhnyaya Sooru funerary-memorial complex in the Central Altai. The object was discovered in... more
The paper is devoted to the publication and cultural and chronological interpretation of images on a fragment of a stele which was a part of the Nizhnyaya Sooru funerary-memorial complex in the Central Altai. The object was discovered in 1981 during the excavations of Turkic enclosures by a group from the South Siberian archaeological expedition of the Kemerovo State University lead by A.S. Vasyutin. The decorated fragment and other finds were transferred into the storage of the museum of the Kemerovo State University’s Archeology Department. At that time, interpretation of imagery on the stele was complicated due to the technical difficulties of copying the fine interlacing engraved lines which as a net covered the whole surface of the small fragment. For the same reason the object remained unpublished. The authors describe a modern technique for documenting fine engravings in rock art, the application of which resulted in a digital multilayer graphic copy (tracing) of the stele fragment. Studying the pecked and engraved figures made it possible to establish the sequence in which they were applied. Initially a human face (only mustache and mouth are preserved) was rendered in a pecking technique and in the stylistics of Turkic sculptures, and the stele was installed in the enclosure. An analysis of the structural features of the constructions as well as the few items of inventory recorded during the excavation allows to date the enclosures of the Nizhnyaya Sooru complex to the Kudyrghe stage of the culture of the Early Medieval Turks (second half of the 6th to the first half of the 7th century AD). Respectively, the initial image on the stele dates to that time. Later the stele had been in use just as a rock surface, convenient for rendering images. In the same (Turkic) period images of an archer, animals and arrows, partly overlapping each other, were engraved on it in a distinctive style. Presumably somewhere in the Late Medieval – New Age the patinated Turkic engravings were overlaid with more primitive images of animals, arrows and numerous scratched random lines. The stele was then either deliberately broken, or destroyed by natural causes. By the time of the excavation, the fragments had silted up and only two of them were found. The paper publishes materials from the expedition by A. S. Vasyutin in 1981, modern photographs and tracings of the object, as well as analogies to the images revealed on the stele.
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The article presents the characteristic of medieval metal mirrors in the collection of the Altai State Museum of Local Lore (Barnaul). The analysis of three items (two fragments and one complete product) has been carried out. The authors... more
The article presents the characteristic of medieval metal mirrors in the collection of the Altai State Museum of Local Lore (Barnaul). The analysis of three items (two fragments and one complete product) has been carried out. The authors reviewed the history of the formation of this small collection, and also provided a detailed description of each mirror. It has been established that the find from the Kirillovka-V complex is a part of an eight-bladed artifact, which, judging by the recorded characteristics, is an original Chinese mirror of the late Tang time. The fragment discovered during the excavations of the Khoroshonok-I necropolis has no analogies in the sites of North and Central Asia. The dating of both designated objects is determined by the last centuries of the 1st millennium AD. The third mirror was made during the Yuan Dynasty and belongs to a very rare type of product. The analysis of the considered group of objects from the Altai State Museum of Local Lore collection demonstrates a significant informational potential for further study of metal mirrors from museum collections, some of which have not yet been published and are not included in the context of modern research.
Keywords: metal mirrors, Middle Ages, museum, Altai, archaeological sites, China, chronology
Keywords: metal mirrors, Middle Ages, museum, Altai, archaeological sites, China, chronology
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The article is devoted to the introduction into scientific discourse and interpretation of spindles from the objects of the Bulan-Koby culture of the Choburak-I complex. This multi- temporal site, located in the Chemal region of the Altai... more
The article is devoted to the introduction into scientific discourse and interpretation of spindles from the objects of the Bulan-Koby culture of the Choburak-I complex. This multi- temporal site, located in the Chemal region of the Altai Republic, has been investigated for several years by an archaeological expedition of the Altai State University. Objects interpreted as spindles were found in the accompanying inventory of two female burials of the Rouran period (2nd half of the 4th — 1st half of the 5th centuries AD), revealed during the excavations of burial mounds 32a and 34. The analyzed items are stone weights in the form of a disc with a through hole. One spindle is ornamented with carved lines that form a pattern resembling a «star», the other — with a closed carved line in the form of a circle with rays radiating from it. The article provides information on the specifics of the location of these specimens in burials, carried out a morphological description of the finds, made a classification, and also presented the experience of comparing them with known objects of this functional purpose from other Altai burial sites of the Xiungnu-Xianbei-Rouran period. It has been established that spindles, similar to those from the Choburak-I necropolis, existed in the subject complex of the population of the Bulan-Koby culture in the period from the 2nd half of the 3rd to the 5th centuries AD.
Key words: Altai, Bulan-Koby culture, spindle, burial, inventory, analogy, classification, chronology.
Key words: Altai, Bulan-Koby culture, spindle, burial, inventory, analogy, classification, chronology.
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The article presents the publication and diverse interpretation of materials from excavations of two objects of the Bulan-Koby culture, investigated in 1989 by an archaeological expedition of the Barnaul State Pedagogical Institute (now... more
The article presents the publication and diverse interpretation of materials from excavations of two objects of the Bulan-Koby culture, investigated in 1989 by an archaeological expedition of the Barnaul State Pedagogical Institute (now the Altai State Pedagogical University) at the Karban-I burial ground in Northern Altai. As a result of the study of mound No 15, a single inhumation of a 16–17 year old girl with a few accompanying equipment, which included two iron buckles, a bronze earring, and a stone bead, was revealed. The features of the burial ritual (a stone embankment with an oval crepe, a shallow grave pit, a burial chamber in the form of a stone box, a corpse position stretched out on the back with its head in the western sector of the horizon without a horse) demonstrate that this object belongs to the Karban burial tradition of the population of the Bulan-Koby culture of Altai. A comparative analysis of the artifacts found provides grounds for dating the burial mound No 15 to a period not earlier than the 2nd century AD. The authors concluded that the deceased had a low lifetime social status. Mound No16, which did not contain the remains of the deceased or any items of inventory, was interpreted as a «miniature» cenotaph. The published materials expand the corpus of archaeological and anthropological sources for the study of the society of pastoralists of the Northern Altai in the Xianbei period (2nd — first half of the 4th centuries AD).
Key words: Altai, Xianbei time, Bulan-Koby culture, burial, Karban tradition, analogy, dating.
Key words: Altai, Xianbei time, Bulan-Koby culture, burial, Karban tradition, analogy, dating.
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The article presents the publication and diverse interpretation of a fragment of a rare metal mirror from the collection of the National Museum of the Republic of Tyva (Kyzyl city). The attribution of the composition, placed in the... more
The article presents the publication and diverse interpretation of a fragment of a rare metal mirror from the collection of the National Museum of the Republic of Tyva (Kyzyl city). The attribution of the composition, placed in the preserved part of the ornamental field of the mirror, required an appeal to the extensive collections of Chinese objects reflected in catalogs and special literature. It is established that the product belongs to a rare group of finds depicting the scene of the conversation “Xu Yu and Chao Fu” — a plot known since the Han Dynasty. An examination of the features of casting, the design of the rim, and the stylistics of the images of the published mirror shows that the manufacture of this item can be attributed to the period of the non-Chinese Jin Dynasty (1115–1234 AD). The significance of the fragment in the system of similar objects found on the territory of Tuva was determined by a review of known finds. The published fragment, the production of which dates back to the Jurchen time, demonstrates the latest period in the distribution of such objects in Tuva. It is important that the product shows a very rare specimen of a mirror, full analogies of which are absent not only in the designated region, but also, as far as we know, have not yet been identified in the sites of North and Central Asia.
Keywords: metal mirror, Tuva, museum collections, China, Jurchen time, interpretation
Keywords: metal mirror, Tuva, museum collections, China, Jurchen time, interpretation
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The article concerns with the history of the study of petroglyphs of the early Middle Ages on the territory of Mongolia. The process of accumulation and diverse interpretation of information about rock paintings, as well as images on... more
The article concerns with the history of the study of petroglyphs of the early Middle Ages on the territory of Mongolia. The process of accumulation and diverse interpretation of information about rock paintings, as well as images on “memorial” objects dating back to the second half of the 1st millennium AD is characterized. The analysis of the main results of the study of the petroglyphs of the early medieval nomads of the region allowed the authors to identify several key stages in the history of their study. The first stage, within which the initial formation of the source base took place, is associated with the discovery and fixation at the end of the 19th century of stylized images of goats, carried out as a rule in the study of epigraphic sites. The beginning of the second stage coincides with the large-scale archaeological research that took place in Mongolia in the middle of the 20th century. The third stage, which began in the mid-1970s, marked the expansion of scientists’ ideas about the rock art of the population of Mongolia in the second half of the 1st millennium AD, as well as the identification of various pictorial layers in it. Within the framework of the modern period (since the mid-1990s), approaches to the study of early medieval petroglyphs are being improved, new sites are being discovered, as well as a more detailed study of already known complexes. The article contains images recorded during the field research of the authors as part of the Buyant Russian-Mongolian archaeological expedition.
Keywords: Mongolia, petroglyphs, early Middle Ages, history of research, periodization
Keywords: Mongolia, petroglyphs, early Middle Ages, history of research, periodization
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This article is concerned with the Chinese metal mirror, which, as it has been found during the study, has been stored for a long time in the collection of the Altai State Museum of Local Lore, but as yet has not attracted the attention... more
This article is concerned with the Chinese metal mirror, which, as it has been found during the study, has been stored for a long time in the collection of the Altai State Museum of Local Lore, but as yet has not attracted the attention of specialists and has not been introduced into scientific discourse. A special research has been required to determine the time and circumstances of its arrival to the museum, which involved working with the documentation of the Altai State Museum of Local Lore, stored both within the institute and in the State Archives of the Altai Territory. It has been concluded, that the mirror represents an occasional find and it came to the museum in the first quarter of the 20th century from the Yenisei Province (currently, the southwestern part of Krasnoyarsk District. The article presents a detailed morphological characteristic of this artifact. The basis of the composition in the ornamented part of the mirror is a stylized image of a single dragon. Its mouth is trying to grasp the holder, which symbolizes the “fire pearl”. The analysis of the specialised literature and catalogues showed that in Chinese mirrors such composition appeared only during the Tang Dynasty (618–907) and continued to exist during the Song Period (907–1279). It has been determined that the composition presented on such objects was reproduced for several centuries (Jin, Liao, and Yuan Dynasties), undergoing transformations associated with stylistic nuances (details of the image, shape of mirror, presence or absence of inscriptions) and size and quality of the objects. Based on the obtained data, the mirror from the Altai State Museum of Local Lore has been attributed to the Yuan dynasty period. There are almost no analogies to such objects in Northern and Central Asia, despite the significant number of mirrors of the Mongolian time stored in collections of Siberian museums. Therefore, it seems possible to acknowledge the rarity of these very specimens; the fragmentarity of their distribution could possibly be explained by peculiarities of the history of specific craft centers that have yet to be investigated.
Key words: metal mirror, China, museum, accidental find, dragon, interpretation, Yuan Dynasty.
Key words: metal mirror, China, museum, accidental find, dragon, interpretation, Yuan Dynasty.
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The article is dedicated to the publication of a unique find that is a coin-shaped indication from the early medieval burial complex in Tuekta (Central Altai) and an attempt of its comprehensive analysis. Excavations of the archaeological... more
The article is dedicated to the publication of a unique find that is a coin-shaped indication from the early medieval burial complex in Tuekta (Central Altai) and an attempt of its comprehensive analysis. Excavations of the archaeological site were carried out in the 1930s during the work of the Sayan-Altai expedition led by S.V. Kiselev, however, since then, the metioned find has not attracted the attention of researchers. The article presents a detailed description of the coin-shaped indication and the analysis of the applied images, it is there also given the characteristic of the archaeological context of the discovery of the object and discuss the possibility of reading fixed signs. As a result, it is presented an attempt to interpret the product in a specific historical and cultural context taking into account the materials received over the past decades. It should be noted the absence of identical archaeological finds in the numismatic collections. At the same time, an analysis of the details of the image on the coin-shaped indication made it possible to outline a wide range of analogies demonstrating the complex processes of cultural contacts in large territories of Eurasia over a long chronological period. The authors came to the conclusion that the analysed product, as well as other like finds from the archaeological sites of the Türks of Inner Asia, to be a kind of "social markers", demonstrating their owners' belonging to the elite strata of the nomadic society and, possibly, reflect their specific authority. The proposed interpretation of such things, given their scarcity, as well as the context of discovery not being obvious, seems debatable and, of course, requires the emergence of new data as a result of further archaeological research.
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The paper concerns the materials of Rouran time obtained during excavations in the territory of Mongolia. The authors present a review of the history of research and interpretation of the sites of the second half of the 4th – the first... more
The paper concerns the materials of Rouran time obtained during excavations in the territory of Mongolia. The authors present a review of the history of research and interpretation of the sites of the second half of the 4th – the first half of the 6th centuries located in different parts of the country. The characteristic of the accompanying inventory from the complexes of the Rouran time is concerned and the dating for each object is proposed. The authors establish that wide analogies to finds from the burials of Mongolia are found in the sites of the Altai-Sayan region and Transbaikalia, as well as in the Syanbi and Kogure complexes of East Asia. In addition, western connections are clearly distinguished, apparently demonstrating the processes of the Great Migration period. The funeral rite recorded during the study of objects of the Rouran time is characterized by a high degree of variability of indicators. In general, the available materials reflect the existence of a heterogeneous society, which included various groups of the population, for a short time united in the Rouran kaganate.
Keywords: archaeological sites, Rouran time, Mongolia, funeral rite, inventory, chronology, interpretation.
Keywords: archaeological sites, Rouran time, Mongolia, funeral rite, inventory, chronology, interpretation.
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The article presents a rare horny stirrup found during excavations of grave 27 of the Gorny-10 necropolis. This site, located in the Krasnogorsk region of the Altai Territory, was investigated in 2000–2003. The published complex is a... more
The article presents a rare horny stirrup found during excavations of grave 27 of the Gorny-10 necropolis. This site, located in the Krasnogorsk region of the Altai Territory, was investigated in 2000–2003. The published complex is a single burial of an adult male with a representative inventory, which included weapons, tools, costume elements, and horse equipment. The recorded burial rite has parallels in the materials of burials in the Forest-Steppe Altai, traditionally attributed to the Odintsovo culture. Most of the finds from grave 27 have standard characteristics, demonstrating the appearance of the object complex of the population of North and Central Asia in the first centuries of the Middle Ages. The analysis of items dates the object in the second half of the 7th century AD. A striking element of the accompanying inventory from the published burial is a horn stirrup. This product was first discovered in the sites of the Odintsovo culture. Single parallels to this ¿nd are known from the complexes of a later period, studied in Altai and adjacent territories. The rarity of such items, as well as the context of their discovery, make it possible to consider stirrups made of organic materials as an indicator of the special status of a deceased person. In the case of the Gorny-10 necropolis, this is the burial of a full-Àedged warrior man, who, obviously, did not belong to the elite of society, but represented the wealthy strata of the population involved in various activities.
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The article publishes a collection of iron arrowheads from the Choburak-I necropolis of the Bulan-Koby culture (the Chemal district of the Altai Republic), the research of which was conducted by the expedition of Altai State University in... more
The article publishes a collection of iron arrowheads from the Choburak-I necropolis of the Bulan-Koby culture (the Chemal district of the Altai Republic), the research of which was conducted by the expedition of Altai State University in 2017–2019. As a result of the classification of 45 products, represented by complete and partially destroyed samples, 13 types of arrowheads were identified, supplemented by 23 options. A typological study made it possible to determine the relative chronology of various modifications of the intruders and their possible genesis. Among the longline tips there are samples of the Xiungnu tradition of the 2nd – 5th centuries AD (types 1a, 2a, 4a–b) and the South Siberian tradition of the 3rd – 5th centuries AD (types 1b, 2b, 3a, 4c). Three-bladed arrowheads date from different times: hexagonal without emphasis (type 8a) – the 2nd century BC – the 5th century AD; asymmetric rhombic and rhombic without emphasis (types 6a, 7a) – the 2nd – the 5th centuries AD; asymmetric rhombic, rhombic, hexagonal with an annular emphasis (types 6b, 7b, 8b) – the 3rd –the 5th centuries AD. Trihedral-three-lobed tips of type 10a are the result of a combination of local and Central Asian (Kenkol) military traditions. Armor-piercing tips (types 11a–b, 12a–b, 13a) demonstrate the familiarity of the population of the Northern Altai with advanced means of defeating protective armor, which was widely used in Central Asia from the 2nd half of the 4th century AD influenced by the late Xianbi weapons complex. Published materials expand the source base for a comparative study of the long-range battle weapons of the peoples of eastern Eurasia in the middle of the 1st millennium AD.
Key words: Altai, Rouran time, Bulan-Koby culture, iron arrowheads, classification, typology, chronology
Key words: Altai, Rouran time, Bulan-Koby culture, iron arrowheads, classification, typology, chronology
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The article presents a small complex of horse equipment, including a stirrup, bit with psalia, and bronze plaques. These finds are known to have occurred from the territory of the Aban district of the Krasnoyarsk Krai. Despite the lack of... more
The article presents a small complex of horse equipment, including a stirrup, bit with psalia, and bronze plaques. These finds are known to have occurred from the territory of the Aban district of the Krasnoyarsk Krai. Despite the lack of information about the circumstances of the discovery of products, their analysis is of certain interest in the context of the available information about the features of the distribution of such items in Central and North Asia. It was established that the stirrup belongs to the group of flat plate products with a T-shaped footboard and a characteristic ornament on the front side. The distribution period of such finds in the designated region is determined by the framework of the 6th – beginning of the 7th centuries AD. To clarify the chronology of the published complex of horse equipment within the second half of the 6th – beginning of the 7th centuries AD the study of other discovered products was also contributive. The distribution of such things in the territory of Transbaikalia is still difficult to associate with a specific population group, taking into account both the wide boundaries of the existence of such finds and the relatively poor degree of knowledge of archaeological complexes of the designated region of the early Middle Ages.
Key words: horse equipment, random find, Transbaikalia, stirrup, early Middle Ages, chronology, interpretation.
Key words: horse equipment, random find, Transbaikalia, stirrup, early Middle Ages, chronology, interpretation.
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The article introduces and gives a cultural and chronological interpretation of the materials of the excavations of two mounds of the Kok-Pash funeral and memorial complex in Eastern Altai. The excavations were carried out by the Altai... more
The article introduces and gives a cultural and chronological interpretation of the materials of the excavations of two mounds of the Kok-Pash funeral and memorial complex in Eastern Altai. The excavations were carried out by the Altai group of the South-Siberian archaeological expedition undertaken under the leadership of Aleksandr S. Vasyutin in 1983 (Kemerovo State University), but the research results produced have not been fully published since then. The authors present a detailed description of the complexes, suggesting that these be referred to as ‘ritual’ mounds. Analysis of the identified structures, as well as the inventory items found, made it possible to support the dating of the excavated objects to the second half of the fifth to the sixth centuries AD and to associate them with the early stages of the Turkic archaeological culture. Analysis of the excavated materials also allowed reconsidering a number of controversial issues related to the reconstruction of the Turkic traditions. The authors hypothesise that, in the middle of the first millennium AD, there was a kind of ‘search’ for ritual practices in the territory of Altai, which can be seen in the research materials on a number of objects from the site that differ from those found on the early medieval ‘classical’ nomad sites.
Keywords: ‘ritual’ mound, Early Middle Ages, Turks, Altai, ‘funeral’ objects, new preTurkic materials
Keywords: ‘ritual’ mound, Early Middle Ages, Turks, Altai, ‘funeral’ objects, new preTurkic materials
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The article presents the results of the systematization and analysis of the bone (horn) arrowheads discovered during excavations of the objects of the Rouran time of the archaeological complex ChoburakI (Northern Altai). The... more
The article presents the results of the systematization and analysis of the bone (horn) arrowheads discovered during excavations of the objects of the Rouran time of the archaeological complex ChoburakI (Northern Altai). The classification of 14 items recorded in five male burials of the site was carried out. It was established that in the analyzed collection there are both already known and specific types of arrowheads, some of which do not have exact analogies in the materials of the Bulan-Koby culture. An analysis of the indicated group of finds showed that arrowheads with petiolate were developed on the basis of local samples from the preceding Xianbei period. These products existed for a long period (apparently, in the framework of the 2nd–5th centuries AD). Arrowheads with a protruding barrel-shaped sleeve date from the 2nd quarter of the 1st millennium AD. Significant similarity of such products with specimens from the sites of the Burkhotui culture of the 4th–6th centuries AD may indicate the orientation of the bone carving production of the population of Altai and East Transbaikalia to the common “samples” of the material culture of one of the Xianbei ethnic groups. The arrowhead with a clamping nozzle differs in a certain originality, which, according to its typological characteristics, refers to fairly late modifications. A comparative study of clamping and sleeve arrowheads demonstrates the continuity of bone carving production of the late Bulan-Koby culture and the early Turks of Altai.
Key words: Altai, Rouran time, Choburak-I, bone (horn) arrowheads, morphological analysis, classification, typology, chronology.
Key words: Altai, Rouran time, Choburak-I, bone (horn) arrowheads, morphological analysis, classification, typology, chronology.
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The article presents the results of a systematic analysis and interpretation of the burial structures of the Bystryanka archaeological culture of the Scythian-Saka time. The results of excavations of 151 mounds, including 171 burials,... more
The article presents the results of a systematic analysis and interpretation of the burial structures of the Bystryanka archaeological culture of the Scythian-Saka time. The results of excavations of 151 mounds, including 171 burials, which are localized on 25 necropolises of the northern foothills of Altai, are taken into account. Within the framework of the work, the already proven approach was used, which involves the classification of ground and grave structures. The result was the identification of 48 types of funeral structures, eight of which include more than half of the analyzed complexes and demonstrate the most common traditions. The study made it possible to identify the general and special characteristics of the burial structures of nomads. It has been established that the population of Bystryanka culture is characterized by the erection of a rounded mound embankment over one or, more rarely, several burials, made, most often, in a simple grave pit and without any additional structures, or in a wooden burial structure. Deviations from this set of indicators are due to a number of factors, among which the components that took part in the formation of the traditions of the community in question are of great importance, as well as circumstances such as climatic conditions and contacts with other groups of nomads. Significant prospects are associated with the work aimed at comparing the results of the analysis of ground and internal grave structures with various characteristics of the ritual of the Bystryanka culture nomads – orientation of died person, accompanying burial of horses, funerary feast, as well as the specifics of placing the equipment in the grave.
Key words: Altai, Bystryanka culture, funerary structures, Scythian-Saka time, system analysis, interpretation
Key words: Altai, Bystryanka culture, funerary structures, Scythian-Saka time, system analysis, interpretation
Research Interests: Prehistoric Archaeology, Eurasian Nomads, Funeral Practices, Death and Burial (Archaeology), Nomadic Peoples, and 9 moreBurial Practices (Archaeology), Scythian archaeology, Archaeology of burials, Archaeology of death and burial, Burial Customs, Scythian and other Eurasian Nomadic Horse Warrior Cultures, Funeral Rites, Altaic Studies, and Nomadic/Indigenous People
The article deals with the attempt to comprehensively study of two metal vessels found in the treasure on Muruisky island on Angara river, which became known to the general public in 2008. Based on a comparative analysis of the findings... more
The article deals with the attempt to comprehensively study of two metal vessels found in the treasure on Muruisky island on Angara river, which became known to the general public in 2008. Based on a comparative analysis of the findings of similar products torevtics in the memorial and funeral complexes of the Türkic period in Inner Asia, it is concluded that they belong to the category of prestigious objects as attributes of the nomadic social elite of the 8th – early 9th centuries A.D. Сomparing the signs of identity (tamga) applied to the vessels with the famous monuments of the region allows it is possible to identify two of them as belonging to the ruling clans of the Eastern Türks and Uyghurs (the Ashina and Yaγlaqar dynasties respectively), as well as to clans of other important nomadic unions of central areas of Mongolia of the same period. For tamga signs on the neck of vessel 2 it is possible to find analogies mainly among the monuments of Tuva and the Minusinsk depression. The fact of their relatively late application to the surface of the vessel refers to the time of the fall of the Uyghur Qaghanate and the expansion of the Qïrqïz in Inner Asia.
A new reading of the runic inscription on vessel 2 is based on the personal direct acquaintance with the artifact at the State Historical Museum in Moscow and subsequent work with its photographs of highquality. In general, the identification of runic characters does not cause difficulties, the fact of which caused to offer an accurate reading of the inscription without assumptions and grammatical stretches. At the same time, it is possible that part of the inscription, which placed on the damaged field of the surface of the vessel, was created earlier than the rest of the text. Since the inscription was not completely restored, it seems correct to consider any interpretations premature. An analysis of spelling of the inscription shows the possibility to compare it with the monuments of the period of the Uyghur Qaghanate (747–840/847). The fact is partially contradicted by some features of the graphics, which, however, may be explained by the presence here of some signs of the mentioned above the earlier inscription.
A new reading of the runic inscription on vessel 2 is based on the personal direct acquaintance with the artifact at the State Historical Museum in Moscow and subsequent work with its photographs of highquality. In general, the identification of runic characters does not cause difficulties, the fact of which caused to offer an accurate reading of the inscription without assumptions and grammatical stretches. At the same time, it is possible that part of the inscription, which placed on the damaged field of the surface of the vessel, was created earlier than the rest of the text. Since the inscription was not completely restored, it seems correct to consider any interpretations premature. An analysis of spelling of the inscription shows the possibility to compare it with the monuments of the period of the Uyghur Qaghanate (747–840/847). The fact is partially contradicted by some features of the graphics, which, however, may be explained by the presence here of some signs of the mentioned above the earlier inscription.
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The article presents two previously unknown stirrups from the collections of the Krasnoyarsk Regional Museum of Local Lore and the Minusinsk Regional Museum of N.M. Martyanov. These items are accidental finds discovered in the... more
The article presents two previously unknown stirrups from the collections of the Krasnoyarsk Regional Museum of Local Lore and the Minusinsk Regional Museum of N.M. Martyanov. These items are accidental finds discovered in the pre-revolutionary period in the territory of the Minusinsk District. Both stirrups belong to the rare group of flat plate stirrups having a T-shaped footplate. The front side of these items is almost completely covered with an ornament in the form of triangles. In this study, we analysed information on all known early plate stirrups from the sites of Central and North Asia. The number of finds amounted to more than 30 items. While a significant part of this collection (about 20 items) is made up of accidental finds and objects from destroyed sites, only 11 stirrups are recorded in closed complexes. The analysis of available materials helps identify key typological features of items demonstrating the evolution of the morphological characteristics of objects, as well as the traditions of their use. It has been established that flat plate stirrups existed in Central and North Asia in the second half of the 5th — beginning of the 7th centuries AD. The distribution analysis of finds in archaeological complexes suggests that early plate stirrups are associated with various population groups of nomads from Central and North Asia. These stirrups from museum collections can be preliminarily associated with the material culture of Tashtyk population. It is likely that the appearance of such items in the territory of the Minusinsk Hollow is due to contacts with more southern territories. A further increase in materials, primarily due to field research in Mongolia and Northwest China (Xinjiang), will contribute to a more thorough cultural and chronological interpretation of early plate stirrups.
Key words: stirrups, museum collections, Early Middle Ages, Central Asia, North Asia, Tashtyk culture, chronology, Türks.
Key words: stirrups, museum collections, Early Middle Ages, Central Asia, North Asia, Tashtyk culture, chronology, Türks.
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The article concerns various aspects of the social interpretation of funeral complexes of the early medieval Türks (dating to the second half of the first millennium AD). The results of the analysis of sites excavated in the Altai, Tuva... more
The article concerns various aspects of the social interpretation of funeral complexes of the early medieval Türks (dating to the second half of the first millennium AD). The results of the analysis of sites excavated in the Altai, Tuva and Minusinsk basin are presented here. The available material, along with theoretical and practical experience of Russian and foreign scientists allowed for the development of an original social research program. We also define the features of gender and age differentiation of the early medieval Turkic society and consider opportunities of modeling the vertical structure of society. In the article we also distinguish the groups of burials showing the heterogeneity of nomads in the Altai-Sayan region in the second half of the first millennium AD. The results obtained through social analyses of funeral complexes are combined with data from written sources, in particular with the Chinese chronicles and Turks runic texts.
Research Interests:
Представлен опыт реконструкции процессов распространения предметов китайского импорта у тюрок Цен- тральной Азии. Осуществлен анализ материалов раскопок около 450 погребений кочевников, исследованных в разных частях региона. Изучение... more
Представлен опыт реконструкции процессов распространения предметов китайского импорта у тюрок Цен- тральной Азии. Осуществлен анализ материалов раскопок около 450 погребений кочевников, исследованных в разных частях региона. Изучение выявленных предметов китайского импорта (17 монет, 19 зеркал, 50 находок шелковых изделий и два фрагмента лаковых чашечек) позволило продемонстрировать особенности контактов номадов на различных этапах их истории. Установлено, что основная масса изделий из ремесленных центров Поднебесной империи обнаружена в погребальных комплексах тюрок Центральной Азии второй половины VII – первой половины VIII в. н.э.