Armed Violence Among the Altai Mountains Pastoralists of the Xiongnu-Sarmatian Age

Abstract

On the basis of perimortem cranial injuries, we examine armed violence among the Altai Montains nomadic pastoralists during the Xiongnu-Sarmatian period (2nd century BC to 5th century AD), when this region was within the military and political orbit of the Central Asian nomadic empires—Xiongnu, Xianbei, and Zhouzhan. The sample included 470 crania from 20 cemeteries of the Bulan-Koba Culture. Blade wounds, depressed fractures, and penetrating projectile wounds were registered. Additionally, weapon related lesions of the postcranial skeleton (arrowheads stuck in the bones and blade wounds), as well as possible cases of scalping, decapitation, and severed limbs were recorded. The frequency of perimortem cranial traumas is 13.3% in males, 6.4% in females, and 4.8% in subadults. This rate shows considerable variation across local groups. During the Xiongnu-Xianbei period (2nd century BC to early 3rd century), perimortem trauma was mainly related to interpersonal and local intergroup violence. Between the late 3rd century AD and the 5th century AD, following the disintegration of the Xianbei Empire and the rise of intergroup clashes, the Bulan-Koba people became also involved in military clashes with foreign tribes.