The Sites of the Early Nomads on the North-East Periphery of the Sarmatian World

Abstract

The paper publishes new materials of the early Sarmatian time from the North-East periphery of the Sarmatian World – the Southern forest-steppe and steppe zones of the Trans-Ural region within the bounds of the modern Chelyabinsk region. The territory of the Southern forest-steppe is represented by the materials of the ruined burial, which is situated on the shore of the lake Smolino within the bounds of Chelyabinsk. It is dated by the early 4th century BC. There are three accidental finds from this region: iron daggers as well. The daggers with curved bar-shaped pommels and arcuate cross-guards are classified as daggers of “transitional type” and are dated by the 4th century BC. The third dagger with a semicircular pommel and a straight cross-guard is included in the group of classical Prokhorovka daggers and is dated the 3rd – 2nd centuries BC. This paper presents the materials of two peculiar burial complexes from the steppe zone of the Southern Trans-Urals. The burial near Mogutovka village is the only one burial (without a barrow) of the early Sarmatian time, which was investigated in the Southern Trans-Ural region. It is situated on the first terrace above the floodplain of the Kamysty-Ayat river. The localization of the burial is not typical for the sites of the early Trans-Ural nomads of the 1st millennium BC. The early Sarmatian burial of the 3rd – 2nd centuries BC was excavated in Druzhinskiy burial site. It was made in the burial pit, which combines signs of a catacomb and an alcove. A child buried here was dressed in a shirt, whose collar and sleeves were decorated with beading. Publishing materials will help to expand the point of view on burial rites and material culture of the early Trans-Ural nomads of the early Sarmatian time, which exists in scientific literature.