Medieval Burials Research Articles

Крепления колчана из раннесредневековых погребений в Кузнецкой котловине

The article examines a collection of eight ironcollared hooksfrom early medieval burials of archers in the Kuznetsk basin. Theseitems were found on four funerary sites Sapogovo, Shestaki-II, Esaulka and Vaganovo, dated by researchers at different intervals within the 7th –10th centuries. The finds are subject to typological classification, typological-chronological and comparative analysis, as well as ethnocultural characterization. As a result of the classification, five types of products are identified. All of them belong to the archaeological and ethnographic complex of those buried according to the rite of cremation on the side and the Saratov archaeological culture at the first and second stages of development in the Kuznetsk basin. It was established that in the early Middle Ages, warriors only in special cases used iron bell hooks. A wide typological range of these products, refl ecting their design features, indicates the lack of stable traditions for their manufacture in the region, which allows us to conclude that they are borrowed from neighboring territories of Sayano-Altai. This is also evidenced by a comparative analysis that allows us to conclude that the use of iron hooks for fastening the quiver in the Kuznetsk basin reflects the general dynamics of the development of similar products in Central Asia and steppe Eurasia during the Middle Ages.

A Fisherman’s Grave in the Medieval Burial Site of Paūdronys

The article contains information about grave No. 27, which dates back to the second half of the fourteenth–the fifteenth century, located in the ward of Turgeliai of Šalčininkai district, near the state border between Lithuania and Belarus. In this grave, a person (a man aged 30–40) is buried with burial items characteristic of that period and one completely uncharacteristic and unique burial item, a large copper- alloy fishing hook. The burial of the dead in the Paūdronys burial site was carried out according to essentially Christian customs, predominantly with the head of the deceased at the western end of the grave. Unlike in a whole series of contemporaneous sites where the old pre-Christian burial customs are even more evident, no weapons, clay pots with food, bird bones, or other burial items characteristic of the period in question were found here. Paūdronys is located close (about 12 km) to the historic settlement of Medininkai with an important castle, where one of the first parishes in Lithuania was established and a church was built as early as 1391. Therefore it is likely that the activities of Catholic priests and the Christianisation processes were quite rapid in these environs in the fourteenth–the early fifteenth century. Grave No. 27 is badly damaged, with only part of the skeleton of the deceased preserved. The deceased was buried lying on his back, with outstretched legs, head to the west at 250 degrees. No traces of the coffin were observed. The person buried in the grave is a man aged 30–40. An iron knife with a tang, its edge pointing toward the feet and the point towards the right shoulder, was found above the left pelvic bone. Two iron buckles were found side by side near the left pelvic bone, at the proximal end of the femur. An iron D-shaped buckle with a tongue was found on the outside of the pelvis. A second iron buckle, with a brass tongue, was found just 0.5 cm away from the first buckle, a little further inside the pelvis. The second buckle is badly corroded and crumbled. An iron rosette-shaped piece of plating was found on the femur within 10 cm of the buckles (and the proximal end of the left femur). The plating was probably attached to a leather purse, but no other traces of it were found. An iron chain link was found on the inner side of the right femur, near the proximal end. A well-preserved brass fishing hook, with a barb and an eye for a line, was found within 5 cm of both buckles towards the outside of the tomb. The hook is massive, for catching predatory fish. Its length is 42 mm. The hook is made of a copper alloy containing 82.1% copper, 14.4% tin, with minor impurities of zinc, iron, lead arsenic, and nickel. The shank and the point have a rectangular cross-section; the eyelet is flattened, with an eye for the line in it. With the exception of the fishing hook, the set of burial items is quite typical of Lithuanian burial sites of the late fourteenth–the fifteenth century. The fishing hook enables interpretations of this burial. Keywords: fishing hook, fishing, Middle Ages, burial, Paūdronys burial site, south-eastern Lithuania

Craniological sources on the problem of ethnogenesis of the Narym Selkups

The Narym Selkups are an indigenous population of the Middle Ob River region speaking various dialects of the Selkup language related to the South-Samodian branch of the Ural language family. In the course of the study of Medieval and relatively recent burial grounds in the territory of the Narym Ob area of Tomsk Oblast, considerable amount of craniological material has been collected, which constitutes an important historical source for solving general problems of their origins. According to the archaeological and ethnographic materials, the Medieval burials were left by direct ascendants of modern Narym Selkups, whereas the materials from the later burial grounds are directly associated with their specific local-dialect groups. This paper is aimed to introduce into scien-tific discourse virtually all craniological materials known today from the burial grounds left by the Narym Selkups, and, on the basis of the results of group cross-correlation, to identify trends of the territorial variability of the whole community. Significant increase of new finds from the vast territory of the Middle Ob region, population-driven approach to the data analysis and development of the craniometric technique warranted re-grouping of the finds by the territorial principle and their repeated measurement and analysis. In view of the current problem, all cranio-logical materials were grouped into ten sampling series, five of which are published for the first time (the burial ground of Ostyatskaya Gora and four combined craniological series from the burial grounds of Lower Chulym, Narym Ob, Upper Ket, and the Tym and Vasyugan rivers). Analysis of the variability of the series from the Narym Ob region in chronological and geographical bands showed their weak variability in space and time. Therefore, prior to the Russian colonization of Siberia, this region of the Middle Ob area was not invaded by considerably large groups of people of different anthropological appearance. All studied craniological series were samples from the single unity. Although the territorial variability of the anthropological features within the groups of the Narym Selkups is not large, in some cases an influence of territorially closest neighbours on the anthropological structures of particular Selkup populations can be discerned. It appeared that the southern groups exhibit resemblance with their territorially closest Turkic populations of the Chulym and Lower Tom regions, while in the composition of other Narym groups, there have been identified an admixture of the component genetically related to the Turkic populations of the Western-Siberian forest-steppe — Barabino and Tobol-Irtysh Tatars, and, although being very weak, an influence of the Ob Ugric populations can be discerned.

Prospecting the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Müstair (Switzerland)

The Benedictine Convent of Saint John at Müstair is a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in the eastern part of Switzerland close to South Tyrol’s border (Italy). Known as a well-preserved Carolingian building complex housing Carolingian and Romanesque frescoes, the convent has received much academic attention. However, all research activities so far have been concentrated on the area enclosed by the convent’s walls, even though the neighbouring fields to the east and south are also part of the convent’s property. This paper reports on the archaeological magnetic and ground-penetrating radar surveys of these areas, executed as part of a pilot project exploring the convent’s immediate environment. At present, these fields are used for agriculture and located on a massive alluvial fan of the mountain stream Valgarola. Dense geophysical sampling revealed an intricate network of distributary channels with stream and mudflow deposits, constituting a natural border of the convent’s territory. In addition to different field systems, a newly discovered broad pathway appears to be an original Roman road. Numerous structural elements, mapped within the convent’s walls, could be attributed to specific building phases. Over 40 large and deep burial shafts, arranged in three rows, were discovered outside the convent’s burial ground. Their specific design and arrangement are characteristic of early medieval burials, such as those of the 6th century Lombards on the edge of the eastern Alps.

Archaeological and environmental cave records in the Gobi-Altai Mountains, Mongolia

Though hundreds of caves are known across Mongolia, few have been subject to systematic, interdisciplinary archaeological surveys and excavations to understand Late Pleistocene and Holocene environments. Previous cave excavations in Mongolia have demonstrated their potential for preservation of archaeological and biological material, including Palaeolithic assemblages and Holocene archaeology, particularly burials, with associated organic finds. In other cases, cave surveys found that stratigraphic deposits and archaeological materials are absent. The large number of caves makes the Mongolian Altai Mountain Range a potentially attractive region for human occupation in the Pleistocene and Holocene. Here we present the results of an interdisciplinary survey of caves in four carbonate areas across the Gobi-Altai Mountains. We report 24 new caves, some of which contain archaeological material recovered through survey and test excavations. Most caves presented limited sedimentation, and some were likely too small for human habitation. Six caves showed evidence of palaeontological remains, most likely from the Late Holocene and recent periods. The most notable anthropogenic findings included petroglyphs at Gazar Agui 1 & 13. Gazar Agui 1 also contained lithics and a bronze fragment. Tsakhiryn Agui 1 contained 31 wooden fragments that include an unused fire drilling tool kit and items commonly found in association with medieval burials. We observed that the caves remain in contemporary use for religious and economic purposes, such as the construction of shrines, mining and animal corralling. Water samples from the caves, and nearby rivers, lakes, and springs were analysed for their isotopic compositions (δ18O, δD, δ17O, 17Oexcess, d-excess) and the data, combined with backward trajectory modelling revealed that the Gobi-Altai region receives moisture mainly from western sources. These results form a baseline for future archaeological, palaeoclimate and palaeoecological studies about regional seasonality and land use.

КОСТЯНЫЕ НАКЛАДКИ НА КОЛЧАН ИЗ СРЕДНЕВЕКОВЫХ ЗАХОРОНЕНИЙ КУЗНЕЦКОЙ КОТЛОВИНЫ

The article examines bone quiver linings found in medieval burials of soldiers from the Kuznetsk basin. These finds are summarized in the figure. Bone linings performed the function of strengthening the structure and at the same time decorated the quiver. Currently known cases of their being in medieval funeral complexes on the territory of the Kuznetsk basin are described and summarized. The dimensions of bone linings are fixed, and the degree of their preservation is estimated. Individual products are decorated with ornaments. Description of elements and motifs of ornamentation applied on bone plates is given. Based on the elements and motives of ornamentation or its absence, a wide range of analogies are given from monuments of the early and developed Middle Ages of Central Asia and Eastern Europe. The initial classification of linings for quiver is carried out according to the production material and their shape. The identified types are assigned to two archaeological and ethnographic complexes (burials of a person according to the rite of cremation on the side and burials of a person according to the rite of corpse with a carcass or skin of a horse) and archaeological cultures - Saratov and Shandinsky. Keywords: Kuznetsk Basin, middle ages, quiver, bone linings, ornament

Potrzeba rekonceptualizacji wczesnośredniowiecznych pochówków „wampirów” z ziem polskich

The aim of the article is to outline the need to reconceptualized the early medieval burials of “vampires” from Poland. These burials are understood as the remains of the so-called “anti- vampire” practices resulting from the social perception of bad death. These, in turn, are recognized as a socio-religious phenomenon, the assumption of which was to postpone the evil actions of the ‘vampire’ by means of certain measures. Due to doubts about the term “vampire”, concerning both the linguistic sphere and the cultural and historical realities, it is suggested not to use it. The proposed alternative, more precise terms would therefore be the terms “returning dead” or “(un)dead”. Another issue raised is the setting of ‘anti-vampire’ burials in an atypical framework. “Anti-vampirical” burials meet the criteria of atypicality on a macro scale, however, it is possible to consider them typical, assuming that they functioned in the culture of Western Slavs in the early Middle Ages as belonging to a specific social group.

Vinča Burials in the Research of Miloje M. Vasić

Miloje M. Vasić (1869–1956) is considered to be the founding father of Serbian archaeology. This paper directly challenges, as based on detailed archival research, the prevailing view that his excavation of the Vinča archaeological site is a model standard for Serbian archaeology. Instead, Vasić’s handling of the excavation was selective, non-systematic and destructive when viewed today from the perspective of modern practices.
 Vasić originally gained authority based on the discovery of Vinča, a prehistoric archaeological site that contains layers from the Neolithic to the middle ages. In his zeal to uncover “prehistory”, he deliberately ignored the other archaeological layers present. The most significant example of neglected archaeological remains is his excavations of Vinča’s medieval cemetery where he did not document observations systematically. This prioritization of the importance of one archaeological period over another was reflected in the further development of archaeology in Serbia, so that medieval archaeology was treated as marginal and second-rate compared to others.
 The aim of this paper, therefore, is to contextualize Vasić’s approach through the methods used in the history of archaeology. The key research question thereof is how Miloje M. Vasić failed to document the burials at the Vinča site, which is the consequent reason why there is little to no documented evidence of them.
 The theoretical and methodological basis of the analysis is based on the approach of Gavin Lucas who views the creation of the primary field documentation as testimony. Lucas notes that the debate concerning knowledge production had drifted from merely an epistemological issue to a phenomenon centered around archaeological practice. Here the key questions have come to concern the social and material setting of knowledge production and not the objective coherence of the argument.
 Burials that were noted in Vasić’s documentation are categorized into four groups: 1) unwanted or medieval burials; 2) incidental burials originating from prehistory 3) an “ossuary” from Vinča containing nine skeletons and 4) imagined multiple cremations based on one found cremation. Therefore, even while documenting several “lateral” prehistoric graves, he entirely omitted any thorough documentation of the medieval cemetery, considering them of less import.
 If there is any lesson that may be learned from this journey through the history of archaeological practice, it is that archaeological documentation as a form of testimony should be done ethically, adequately and responsibly. It should not be done according to the practices of the “bad science” of its founding-fathers.

EXCAVATION OF DERBENT SETTLEMENT IN 2017

The article is dedicated to the results of 2017 season excavations of Derbent settlement which existed before construction of the Derbent defensive complex at the end of 560-s. This settlement was gradually left after the construction of a new city given the new name Derbent (Darband). The cultural layers and the construction remains (rooms 6, 7, 8, 9) of the 5-th – 6-th centuries AD, the medieval Muslim burials which have been dug in the layer of the settlement were open in the southern sector of the excavation area XXV.
 The revealed complex of inhabited and economic constructions including 9 rooms is dated the 5th century AD on the basis of chronological indicators (bronze belt buckles, fibula) and other archeological finds (including, Sasanian pottery). Authors consider that this complex has stopped existence during the military-political events of the middle of the 5th century or of the beginning of the 6th century, namely in the period of an anti-Sasanian revolt of 450-451 or Iran-Savir war of 503-508 AD.
 The materials obtained during excavations shed new light on issues of historical topography and layout, stratigraphy and chronology, architecture and construction, economic activity, culture and life of the inhabitants of the Derbent settlement which is identified with the city-fortress of Chor/Chol known for ancient Armenian, Georgian, Syrian, Early Byzantine and Arab authors and which was the important administrative, military and religious center of East Caucasus. The received materials characterize culture.

Cellulosolitic Microorganisms Activity as an Indicator of Details Funeral Ceremony

The article describes the results and the methodology for determining the initial presence of wares containing cellulose in the Vyatichi funeral ceremony in the Middle Ages in the natural zone of the southern taiga, Moscow region. Cellulose is a high molecular weight polymer. Cellulose (in other words – fiber) contains up to half of all the organic carbon of the biosphere, therefore, the prevalence of various microorganisms utilizing cellulose is quite high. In addition, the prevalence of this trophic group of microorganisms significantly complicates the diagnosis in archaeological contexts, since it’s necessary to understand the total number of these microorganisms on different depths in certain soil types and certain climatic zones. To overcome this difficulty, we conducted a two-month experiment to determine the rates of decomposition of the added cellulose substrate by soils from the adjacent structures of cremated burials using method, providing results comparable with published data. For the first time, there was made an attempt to identify soils of cremated burials with an increased content of cellulose, by analogy to microbiological methods of identifying keratin-containing substrates of ancient burials. The presence of cellulolytic microorganisms was identified by counting of colony forming units after planting on a solid nutrient environment – soil agar enriched in carboxymethyl cellulose. The object of the experiments was soil samples from medieval burials with cremations. Comparisons were made with the background soil of the same age as cremations (XII century), which have been developing according to the zonal type on the kurgan mound nearby to cremated burials. Three sites with maxima activity were revealed, according to the archaeological context. The article continues the cycle of experimental planting of trophic groups of microorganisms for the purpose of indicating substances that entered the soil at different periods of time, from antiquity to the Middle Ages, and have been utilized by microorganisms up to nowadays.

THE FACE OF BATTLE? DEBATING ARROW TRAUMA ON MEDIEVAL HUMAN REMAINS FROM PRINCESSHAY, EXETER

Physical evidence of weapon trauma in medieval burials is unusual, and evidence for trauma caused by arrowheads is exceptionally rare. Where high frequencies of traumatic injuries have been identified, this is mainly in contexts related to battles; it is much less common in normative burials. Osteological analysis of one context from an assemblage of disarticulated and commingled human bones recovered from a cemetery associated with the thirteenth-century Dominican friary in Exeter, Devon, shows several instances of weapon trauma, including multiple injuries caused by projectile points. Arrow trauma is notoriously difficult to identify, but this assemblage shows that arrows fired from longbows could result in entry and exit wounds in the skull not incomparable to modern gunshot wounds. Microscopic examination of the fracture patterns and spalling associated with these puncture wounds provides tentative evidence that medieval arrows were fletched to spin clockwise. These results have profound implications for our understanding of the power of the medieval longbow, for how we recognise arrow trauma in the archaeological record and for our knowledge of how common violent death and injury were in the medieval past, and how and where casualties were buried.

CHRISTIAN BURIAL GROUNDS OF UPLAND DAGESTAN 
 (BASED ON THE JOINT DAGESTAN-GEORGIAN 
 ARCHEOLOGICAL EXPEDITION)

The paper proposes material of the study of medieval burial grounds of upland Dagestan, obtained during the joint Dagestan-Georgian archeological expedition, which was carried out in Central Upland Dagestan, in the territory of the former Sarir, in 1977-1981. As a result of a comprehensive work, in addition to archeological, architectural, ethnographic and epigraphic monuments, the following medieval burial grounds were studied: Tad-raal, Akhalchinsky, Uradinsky, Khunzakhsky. These burial grounds have been identified with burials dating back to the X-XIV centuries, as well as one burial belonging to the XIX century. Identified medieval burials comprise three types of burial structures: 1) burials in ground pits of rectangular elongated shape; 2) burials in rectangular stone boxes; 3) burials in soil pits of elongated rectangular shape with ledges-shoulders and slabs of horizontal overlaps. The Tad-raal burial of XIX century was made in a wood coffin.The article provides a detailed description of the revealed burial complexes, characterizes the construction of their structures, funeral rite, funeral set and dating of burials. Using the method of comparative analysis of structural features of burial structures and equipment, the dating of the functioning of burial grounds is specified. The considered material allows to conclude on active historical ties of mountain Dagestan with medieval Georgia, as well as the spread of Christianity among the local population. At the same time, it is noted that the expressive and peculiar local culture has preserved the features of the previous epoch, which is reflected in the funeral rite and funeral structures.

An Atypical Medieval Burial at theMonte Dei CappucciniMonastery in Torino (Italy): A Case Study With High-Precision Radiocarbon Dating

ABSTRACTIn 1989 an ancient burial consisting of a skeleton and a few objects was discovered at theMonte dei CappucciniMonastery, in Torino (Italy). Anthropological analysis of the skeleton revealed that it belonged to a young man, and the archaeometric characterization of the objects suggested that most of them are compatible with the Medieval period. As a proper archeological survey was not conducted at the time of the finding, due to the religious nature of the site, a high-precision radiocarbon (14C) dating has been performed. The samples were processed with three different methods: besides the ultrafiltration (UF) treatment, we applied the “collagen” (COL) and the Longin-base (LB) methods. While UF and COL treatments provided compatible results, LB method returned ages older with respect the UF one, with significant disagreements in some cases and this evidence is supported by several measurements on the same individual. Thanks to the reduction of the uncertainty with the high number of measured samples and the availability of historical evidence, the possible age of the burial has been limited to the time interval 1464–1515 cal AD.

On the Finds of Metal Crosses at the Medieval Burial Ground of Gorzuvity (The Southern Coast of Crimea)

Introduction. In 2018, the Institute of Archaeology of the Russian Academy of Sciences conducted excavations of a burial ground (Artek, Gurzuf, Yalta district). The first researcher of this monument was A.L. Jacobson, and he discovered ten inventory-free graves. In 2018, more than twenty graves both with funeral inventory and non-inventory ones were discovered at the burial ground. Analysis and Results. Among the archaeological material, metal crosses from grave 7A deserve special attention. One is a bronze breast cross with a circular decor, the second one is an iron cross with a curved, elongated lower branch. The wire earrings, small metal bells-buttons, small glass beads found in the grave are known at many archaeological sites in a wide time range. Fragments of tiles from the burial belong to technological groups 1, 2, 4 that can be dated from the 8th to the 12th (13th?) centuries. The search for analogies and the comparative analysis make it impossible to unambiguously determine the time of the bronze cross. It can be dated only in a wide chronological range – the 6th – 11th centuries, not excluding the 12th century, the iron cross most likely dates to the 9th – 10th centuries. In the aggregate of items, burial 7A can be tentatively dated broadly from the 8th century to the 11th century. Perhaps, using natural science methods that are currently being conducted, we will be able to clarify the date of burial 7A. The particular interest of the considered subjects of the Christian cult lies precisely in their ordinary and standard nature; they demonstrate the uniformization of the Byzantine material culture in the very wide territory from Egypt to Crimea. The burial ground of Gorzuvity demonstrates the byzantinization of the local barbarian population both in the material culture and in the burial rite. The finds of crosses in burial 7A fit well into the Byzantine context and are another clear confirmation of the evolution and chronology of the spread of Christianity in Crimea.

Early medieval burial of woman and fox at the slog necropolis in Ravna (Timacum Minus) in Eastern Serbia

On the eastern slope of Slog Hill in Ravna, some 400 m to the west of the Roman fortification of Timacum Minus, a multilayered necropolis was investigated from 1994 to 1996 and from 2013 to 2015. There are two main horizons of the necropolis - Late Roman and Early Medieval. The late Roman necropolis has three phases dated from the middle of the 4th to the middle of the 5th century. The early medieval necropolis, according to the new excavations, has two phases, the earlier dated to the 8th - 9th centuries and the later from the end of the 9th to the beginning of the 11th century. An interesting grave (G 159), belonging to the earlier medieval phase of necropolis, was discovered in 2014. It is a unique burial of a woman and a fox, which has its only analogy in a disturbed woman and fox grave (grave 16) at the early Avar necropolis in Becej. The burial with a fox could be interpreted in two ways - that the animal has a cult - ritual - magic meaning or that the fox was a pet of the deceased.

An Assemblage from a Medieval Burial at Lake Parisento, Gydan Peninsula, the Arctic Zone of Western Siberia

The article introduces an assemblage from a child burial discovered in the central Gydan Peninsula, Tazovsky District, YamalNenets Autonomous Okrug. Little is known about the archaeological past of Arctic Western Siberia, and these fi nds are relevant to the study of the medieval period of that area. Medieval burials were studied only in the adjacent peninsula of Yamal. The discovery of the burial is described in detail. It was exposed owing to soil eolation. Artifacts were redeposited, and virtually the entire skeleton was missing. In a lump of soil stuck to the metal bowl, a few bone fragments and hair was found. Their analysis suggests that the individual was an infant aged 1–3. The assemblage includes an imported bronze bowl, a bronze haft of a knife, a scabbard, and a silver earring. The bowl, made of tin bronze, was apparently manufactured in eastern Iran or Central Asia in the 10th or 11th century. The haft and the scabbard, judging by the type and technology, belonged to a category of artifacts that were common in the Lower Ob basin, the southern Yamal, and the Ural in the late fi rst and early second millennia. On the basis of the results of X-ray fl uorescence analysis, we assess the chemical composition of the metal of which all those artifacts are made. The decorated fragment of a clay vessel is attributed to the Tiutey-Sale variant (800–1300 AD) of the Lower Ob culture. The totality of indicators suggests a date between 900 and 1100 AD. We conclude that the tundra areas of the Yamal and Gydan peninsulas were colonized by migrants from the northern taiga zone of Western Siberia.

9. Together in Death: Demography and Funerary Practices in Contemporary Multiple Internments in Irish Medieval Burial Grounds

Contemporary multiple interment is a minority burial practice occasionally encountered in Medieval Christian burial grounds that is suggestive of the death of two or more individuals at the same time followed by a conscious decision by the living to bury those individuals together. The study reviews the evidence from thirty-one Irish burial grounds (spanning AD 300 to 1700) to explore the nature of the demographic combinations apparent in these contemporary multiple interments. Drawing upon information gleaned from contemporary historical sources, an attempt will be made to proffer possible scenarios to account for the different demographic configurations apparent in the burials. Funerary practices, in particular, positioning of the bodies, will be explored to see if insights can be gained concerning the nature of the potential social relationships that may have existed between those interred together in each grave. The findings from Ireland will be compared to those of studies of similar burials in Anglo-Saxon England.

The Emotive Object in Medieval China

Abstract This article considers the emotional status of grave goods in medieval China. Its purpose is twofold. First, the author investigates the conceptual structures available for interpreting the emotional processes involved in medieval burials. He argues that it is possible, and indeed productive, to read grave goods as traces of emotional operations and, in so doing, to articulate a dimension of the embodied processes that structured and motivated wider developments in the social and cultural history of China. Second, the author demonstrates how sensory-based analyses of grave goods can elucidate intermediating processes among the conceptualization of emotion in philosophical texts, the representation of emotion in the literary and visual arts, and the actual experience of emotion in premodern China. Using the recently discovered cemetery of the Northern Song Lü family as a case study, he articulates the emotional function of the aesthetic appreciation that occurred when selecting objects for burial. In explaining the relationship between the sensorial affect of the grave goods and the family's commitment to the abstract ideal of sincerity, the author uses the concept of the emotive object to chart common ground for histories of thought and the arts in China.

Вещевой комплекс из средневекового погребения вблизи озера Парисенто на Гыданском полуострове (арктическая зона Западной Сибири)

The article introduces an assemblage from a child burial discovered in the central Gydan Peninsula, Tazovsky District, YamalNenets Autonomous Okrug. Little is known about the archaeological past of Arctic Western Siberia, and these fi nds are relevant to the study of the medieval period of that area. Medieval burials were studied only in the adjacent peninsula of Yamal. The discovery of the burial is described in detail. It was exposed owing to soil eolation. Artifacts were redeposited, and virtually the entire skeleton was missing. In a lump of soil stuck to the metal bowl, a few bone fragments and hair was found. Their analysis suggests that the individual was an infant aged 1–3. The assemblage includes an imported bronze bowl, a bronze haft of a knife, a scabbard, and a silver earring. The bowl, made of tin bronze, was apparently manufactured in eastern Iran or Central Asia in the 10th or 11th century. The haft and the scabbard, judging by the type and technology, belonged to a category of artifacts that were common in the Lower Ob basin, the southern Yamal, and the Ural in the late fi rst and early second millennia. On the basis of the results of X-ray fl uorescence analysis, we assess the chemical composition of the metal of which all those artifacts are made. The decorated fragment of a clay vessel is attributed to the Tiutey-Sale variant (800–1300 AD) of the Lower Ob culture. The totality of indicators suggests a date between 900 and 1100 AD. We conclude that the tundra areas of the Yamal and Gydan peninsulas were colonized by migrants from the northern taiga zone of Western Siberia.

Результаты изучения поясного украшения из средневекового могильника Гришкин Лог-2 на cреднем Енисее

Результаты изучения поясного украшения из средневекового могильника Гришкин Лог-2 на cреднем Енисее