EARLY MEDIEVAL BURIAL GROUND GUSARA I IN NORTH OSSETIA

Abstract

In 2003 the Alagir archaeological team of the Institute of History and Archaeology (IHA) at North Ossetian state University named after K. L. Khetagurov (now the IHA Republic of North Ossetia-Alania) excavated the Gusara I burial ground in the Alagirsky district of the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania. The destroyed and looted part about 70 square meters of the burial ground was studied. In total, three underground catacombs were excavated. They contained a few, but quite expressive archaeological material (fibulae, buckles, beads, etc.). The studied catacombs were made in T-shaped type I. There are two varieties of burials according to the details of its constructions. The first variety: entrance pits are narrow and long; the bottom of the entrance pit and the chamber are at the same level, the dromos is not expressed, the vault of the chamber is flat. The chambers are small, most likely intended for the burial of a single person. Presumably, the buried were put with their heads to the left of the entrance. The second variety: the entrance pit is short; a step separated the bottom of the entrance pit from the bottom of the chamber; the dromos is expressed; the vault is designed as an arch; under the buried is traced a bed of organic origin. The buried lay with their heads to the left of the entrance; an artificially deformed skull was fixed. According to the funeral rite and inventory, investigated underground catacombs belong to the early medieval stage of the Alan culture in the North Caucasus during the 2nd half of VI – the 1st half of VII centuries A.D. The investigated archaeological inventory is close to the materials as early Alan culture so the Hun time. The purpose of the article is the introduction into scientific activities the archaeological materials of Gusara I.