Finding of an Early Scythian weapon set in a burial of the Tagar culture (Askiz steppe)

Abstract

The article is devoted to the analysis of a weapon set discovered during the excavations of the Tagar kurgan in the Askiz steppe in 2020. This complex consisted of two adjacent fences and a children's burial in a stone box between them. According to the characteristic features of the burial rite, the mound can be dated within the VIII – VII centuries BC. In the grave pit of fence No. 1, a bronze dagger with a knife in a well-preserved leather case with embroidery was found near the man's right hand. Typological features allow us to attribute these items to the Early Scythian stratum. A dagger with a slightly beveled roller-shaped pommel, a flat plate handle, a straight crosshair in the form of two spikes, a four-sided blade with a double-sided sharpening has a genetic connection with the Karasuk samples. The entire gun set has extensive analogies both among random finds in the Askiz steppe and in closed complexes on the territory of the Minusinsk basin. The ornament of four «mushroom-shaped» figures embroidered with tendon threads is unique for the Khakasko-Minusinsk steppes. Such finds expand our understanding of Early Bulgarian art, which appears to be very traditional at the initial stages. The "freedom" in the ornamentation of the leather cover analyzed in the article is determined by the «game» moments reflecting the individual consciousness of the ancient master, being a specific indicator of value cultural and mythological orientations. In this case, it was possible to fix a completely new plot within a rather closed visual system.