К вопросу о социальной структуре населения Биктимировского могильника

Abstract

The paper analyzes materials from Biktimirovo burial ground (3rd – 2nd centuries BC) of the Kara-Abyz culture traced within the southern Cis-Urals. Goals and Objectives. The work seeks to comprehensively investigate the funeral rites and reconstruct the social structure of the ancient population. Materials and Methods. Burials and related attributes serve a most informative source to reconstruct social structures of ancient communities. The study examines 85 burials investigated by K. Salnikov and A. Pshenichnyuk in the 1960s. Results. The paper summarizes the funeral rites and analyzes age-sex groups of the ancient population. Burials of men are characterized by the presence of weapons, those of women — by garment elements. Bead necklaces and spindle whorls mark women’s tombs, sharpening stones mark those of men’s. The qualitative and quantitative compositions of burial attributes proved instrumental in dividing the whole of the buried community into 5 categories, such as the ‘wealthy’, ‘rich’, ‘regular’, ‘poor’ and ‘poorest’. Statistics of the ‘rich’ and ‘wealthy’ makes it possible to suggest that woman enjoyed a higher status in society. Conclusions. The research results show that notwithstanding income inequality most tribesmen had equal social positions.