Mirrors from Altai's Archaeological Sites: The Initial Stage in Source Base Formation (Early 19th Century — 1910s)

Abstract

The article presents information about the history of discovery and study of fourteen metallic mirrors found on the territory of Altai from the early 19th century to 1915. This period is designated by the author of the study as the initial stage in the formation of the source base on the metal mirrors from the archaeological complexes of this region. The analysis of the available information about finds has allowed to establish that the overwhelming number of products comes from private collections of the 19th — early 20th centuries (collections of P.K. Frolov, M.P. Pogodin, N.S. Gulyaev and others). Throughout the period mentioned there were mostly isolated discoveries of metallic mirrors, and there is often no information about their exact location and time of discovery. The excavations of A.V. Adrianov in 1911 in the Mayemir steppe (south-west Altai) are exceptional. Three metal mirrors obtained as a result of the study of Scythian burial complexes were meticulously recorded and described by the author of the excavations, and then published by him in a generalising work. Since the second half of the 19th century, there has been a tendency to transfer archaeological materials (including the category of items of interest) from private collections and also new finds to university, local history and central museums of the country. Since the second quarter of the 20th century a new stage in the process of accumulation and study of metal mirrors as an archeological source has begun.