Finno-Ugric elements in the art of the early nomads of the Southern Urals

Abstract

Introduction. Arterfacts, which are a part of the burial equipment, especially of a cult nature, are a ethnocultural, social and ideological markers of the population and time which they belong to. The research in the area of penetration of foreign elements into the sphere of religious and mythological representations can reveal new aspects of the interaction of nomadic and sedentary worlds of Volga-Urals area. This article refers to elements of Finno-Ugric art and ideology, which are reflected in the art of the early nomads of the Southern Urals, in particular, in the images of stone altar altars, specific cult objects. Materials and Methods. The article is based on employing the methods of comparative and semantic analysis, as well as cultural approach for archaeological materials. Results and Discussion. The belonging of stone altars to the objects of the priestly circle allows considering their images as a reflection of religious and mythological representations of early nomads, as well as the level of their cultural contacts with neighboring tribes. Images of a wolf and a bear on the altars can reflect both their own and borrowed ideas. Conclusion. Based on the comparative and semantic analysis of the images on the altars, their territorial binding and the time of operation, comparison of them with other objects of the burial circle of early nomads, we conclude that there are regular contacts of different nature of Finn-Ugric and Iranian-speaking population, which had a serious impact on the sacred sphere of life of the nomadic tribes of the Southern Urals.