Sarmatian Burials Research Articles

Early Sarmatian Burial of Mound Group Kenysh 3 in Kazakhstan Tobol River Region

Materials of a mound of the early Sarmatian time investigated by the Turgay archaeological expedition of the A. Baitursynov Kostanay State University under the leadership of V.N. Logvin and S.S. Kaliyeva in a field season of 1995 were considered in the article for the first time. The earthen mound before the beginning of excavation had a diameter of 25 m, a height of 1.25 m. It was surrounded by a circular ditch with a diameter of 31 m. Fragments of a wooden tent structure were recorded in the embankment. A pair burial was found under the mound. The inventory is represented by iron sword and dagger, bronze sleeve and iron petiolate arrowheads, bone and iron buckles and fragments of wooden utensils. Burial refers to the end of Early Sarmatian culture (2nd century BC). The issueof the origin and spread of the tradition of wooden tent ceiling isconsideredby the authors.

Italic Bronze Statuette of the 5th — 3rd Centuries BC from the Late Sarmatian Burial in the Lower Don Area (on the Statuettes in the Burials of Eurasian Nomads of the First Centuries AD)

The article is devoted to the attribution of a bronze statuette of a naked man with a rounded object in a raised right hand, found in the Late Sarmatian female burial of Valovyy-I burial-ground, dating not earlier than the second half of the 2nd century AD, in the vicinity of ancient Tanais in the Lower Don region. This is the only reliable case I know of a find of a bronze figurine in the burials of the early nomads of Eurasia, in which imported anthropomorphic figurines are extremely rare. The analysis of the statuette has shown that, contrary to the opinion of the publishers, it has nothing to do with the items of bronze plastic of the Greek Hellenistic or Roman imperial circle. In the absence of exact analogies, the greatest closeness to it is found by Italic figurines of the 5th — 3rd centuries BC. How the figurine in question could found its way into the Late Sarmatian burial on the Lower Don — a question that is not easy to give a definite answer. We can only point out that among the various bronze and silver statuettes found in the sanctuary on the Gurzuf Pass in the mountainous Crimea, one is attributed by us as Italic and dates from the Hellenistic period. The handicraft repair of the figure from the Valovyy-I burial-ground, which is not characteristic for the Greco-Roman metalwork, gives reason to believe that it could exist in a nomadic milieu for a long time. An attempt is made to interpret the fact of a find not just imported, but very ancient at the time of burial (at least 500 years), object in a nomadic burial, to explain this phenomenon and to determine the function of the statuette by the nomads.

Sarmatian Burials with Roman Imports from Wallachia

Sarmatian Burials with Roman Imports from Wallachia

Печати-многогранники закавказского происхождения II–I вв. до н.э. из погребений кочевников Азиатской Сарматии I – первой половины II в. н.э.

The article features the gem of rather rare forms, namely so-called prisms, polyhedra, scaraboids and bifacial gems which were found in the burials of the Asian Sarmatia nomads. The author describes an attempt to attribute seals in the form of polyhedra from Sarmatian burials dated back to the 1st – first half of the 2nd century AD within the Lower and Upper Don and the Lower Volga regions. Polyhedra belong to the forms of gems, which became widespread in the Classical era, both among Greek and so-called Greek-Persian gems. In the 2nd – 1st centuries BC the seals in the form of polyhedra were widely distributed across the Caucasus and, especially, in Transcaucasia region. According to the finds, they are represented by numerous items made of carved stone, as well as of dark blue glass, milky white and greenish color. Moreover, there are also known rectangular forms of prints of such seals on the bulls, in particular which were excavated from the palace at Dedoplis Gora in Caucasian Iberia, dated to the 1st century BC – 1st century AD. The analysis of the shapes, materials and subjects of the images on the seals from the Sarmatian burials considered in the current article suggests that they were made in Transcaucasian workshops of the 2nd – 1st centuries BC. The probable Transcaucasian origin of the seals and their dating to the late Hellenistic period are an indirect confirmation of the hypothesis previously expressed by the author about the early cylindrical, conical seals and scaraboids of the mid-2nd – mid-1st millennium BC found in Sarmatian burials of the 1st century BC – 2nd century AD, originating from the sanctuaries of Transcaucasia.

О времени появления ранних сарматов на Нижнем Дону

There are different points of view regarding the date of the appearance of the early Sarmatian archaeological culture of the 2nd – 1st centuries BC within the Lower Don region. However, most researches have been of the view that the Lower Don region and the Northeastern Black Sea region were developed by the Sarmatians relatively late, namely not earlier than the second half of the 2nd century BC. The main objective of this study is to define the date of the first appearance of the Sarmatians on the territory of the Don region based on the analysis of the archaeological data from Sarmatian and ancient archeology, as well as information from the literary and epigraphic sources. According to the scale of the relative chronology there is plenty of early monuments in the Sarmatian antiquities within the 2nd century BC. However, the number of chronological indicators in Sarmatian burials of this time horizon is relatively low. On the basis of the Rhodian amphora with stamps, black-glazed cantharoi and Megarian bowls, the date of the earliest complexes can be set within the second or third quarters of the 2nd century BC. The arrival of the Sarmatians had a general destabilizing effect on the situation in the Don region and the Northeastern Black Sea region. The destruction of settlements and the devastation of territories were recorded on the Bosporus. The city of Tanais in the Lower Don region was fortified in the second quarter of the 2nd century BC. The first reliable mentions of the Sarmatians in official documents are dated to the end of the first – the beginning of the second quarter of the 2nd century BC (the treaty is dated 179 BC, Delphic manumissions). Further the authors conclude that the first appearance of the Sarmatians in the Lower Don region and the Northeastern Black Sea region is associated with the movement of nomadic tribes as a result of the expansion of the Xiongnu state, formed at the end of the 3rd century BC, which reached the Russian southern steppes as a result of domino effect.

Захоронения эпохи раннего железного века курганного могильника «Богомольные пески-I»

The article is dedicated to the publication of the materials of burials from the Early Iron Age, discovered during excavations of a crumbling kurgan which is a part of the cemetery “Bogomolnye Peski-I” close to the village of Nikolskoye, Enotaevsky district, Astrakhan region. In total, 14 burials were investigated during the rescue excavations, two of them relate to the Middle Ages, other seven belong to the Bronze Age. The article describes in detail 5 burials of the Early Iron Age. The dating of the burials is defined based on the materials and details of the burial rite. The earliest burial (No. 2) dates back to the Savromat era. It contained a decapitated rams carcase and a molded pot which is typical of assumed era. The rest of the burials belong to the Middle Sarmatian period (1st – 2nd centuries AD). One of the Middle Sarmatian burials was completely destroyed by robbers in ancient times. It was possible to find a lot of gold stripes of clothes among its containment, as well as a bronze cauldron with a tamga. Plaques and stripes are not typical of either the Savromat or the early Sarmatian cultures. Indeed, they are widely used in prestigious burials of the Middle Sarmatian culture. The burials No. 5 and No. 13, accompanied by a rich inventory, are of the greatest interest. A set of gold decorations for a funeral veil and a belt set of gold with turquoise inserts were found in burial No.5, which belong to the products of the Sarmatian polychrome style, typical of the Middle Sarmatian period. In addition, a gilded bronze dish related to Roman provincial dishes and an alabaster vessel were discovered there – a typical find of the Middle Sarmatian era. In burial No. 12, the most interesting findings, in addition to a large number of various beads, are intaglio gemstones made of red glass with plots of ancient mythology depicted on them, which are unique in their own way. Moreover, an interesting vessel shaped as a bird (duck) was found there as well. The close analogs to the latter are known in cemeteries of the 1st – 2nd centuries AD in the Kuban region. A feature of this kurgan is a large number of inlet burials of the Middle Sarmatian culture, whereas in general, the burials under individual mounds predominate in the Middle Sarmatian epoch. Key words: early Iron Age, barrow, Lower Volga region, Sarmatians, burial rite.

Late Sarmatian Army Burials of the Berezovsky Barrow Burial Ground in the Middle Don

Introduction. The relevant objective of the research of the Sarmatians in the Don forest-steppe zone is the study of the Late Sarmatian period. It is aggravated both by the lack of the available material and by the absence of Late Sarmatian period burial grounds up until recent years. The excavations of Late Sarmatian grave mounds near Berezovka village in the left bank area of the Middle Don provide the opportunity to challenge the lack of knowledge concerning this period of the Sarmatian history. Methods. The method of analogy dating, the typological and anthropological methods were applied while working on the burial samples of the Late Sarmatian culture found in Berezovka proximity. Analysis. The analyzed objects are two Late Sarmatian burials hidden under the separate grave mounds in the riverside graves. One of them belongs to a 18–20-year-old woman, the other one is associated with a 25–30-year-old man. The burial materials can be dated back to the middle or the second half of the 2nd century AD. Results. The assigning of the considered burials to the Late Sarmatian culture of the middle or the second half of the 2nd century AD sets up possible connection between these grave mounds and the graves preceding the Hunnic invasion (grave mounds 8 and 9 in Berezovka burial sites). The chronological time interval between them is approximately 150 years. Allegedly, the study of the new grave mounds can replenish the chronological void.

Sarmatian Graves with Hiding-Holes in the Bottom of Pits in Kurgan Cemeteries of the Lower Volga Region

Introduction. The article discusses one of the types of hiding-holes that were made in Sarmatian graves of the Lower Volga region. Hiding-holes as a substantial element of a graves structure are typical for Sarmatian burials of the last century BC and the first centuries AD. They were built in the burial pit, as well as near it, as a rule, in the west soil. In the burial pit, these were usually made as niches in the bottom parts of the walls, though hiding-holes in the bottom of the graves are characteristic only for the Lower Volga region. Methods and materials. There are not very many graves with hiding-holes in the Volga Region – eight in total, and none of them have been found in the neighboring regions, or only single cases are known. Archive data on excavations of the kurgans in the region allows the author to specify some essential construction details of the graves with hidingholes. These holes were dug out in the bottom of the grave pits; they are round in shape, 0.3–0.5 m in diameter and 0.3–0.6 m in depth. A deceased was placed over the holes. A principal item always placed in all hiding-holes is a bronze cauldron, which in some cases is accompanied by other types of metal and ceramic vessels. The author comprehensively applies several scholarly methods of archaeological research. The first stage of collecting and initial processing of material included methods of external and internal analysis of sources taking into account professional characteristics of researchers. The primary classification method based on the similarity of objects, as well as the traditional method of comparative typology, was used at the interpretation stage. The interpretation of materials also required the use of the classical method of extensive parallels including ethnological examples. Results. Among the burials with hiding-holes in the bottom of the pits, the majority were burials of women. Considering not only the ordinary but also the sacred meaning that was attached to the cauldrons by the nomads of Eurasia, the author concludes that the hiding-holes in the bottom of Sarmatian graves blocked out by the body of the deceased, served not only as a secret place for treasures but had some others cult significance.

Inscribed Ceremonial Dagger from a Princely Sarmatian Burial near the Village of Kosika in the Lower Volga Region

Abstract The paper is devoted to the cross-guard of the fragmentary dagger found in 1984 in the princely nomad burial near the village of Kosika in the Lower Volga area, belonging to the type of ceremonial daggers which were widespread in Eurasia in the 1st century BC-1st century AD and which became one of the insignia of power as testified by the finds in the princely nomadic burials and depictions on the royal figures on the stelae from Commagene. The dated (year 238) dotted inscription preserved on the gold overlay of the cross-guard found by one of the authors in 2015 and completely cleaned from the iron oxides in 2017 contains an indication of the craftsmen and the weight of gold, confirmed by the eklogistes, which means estimated on the highest state level. The inscription allows us to suggest, with high degree of probability, that the dagger may have been manufactured either as a tax payment of the corporation to the state or rather was ordered by a king to serve as a gift to an equal person. Moreover, the analysis of the inscription suggests that the object could have been made in Asia Minor, perhaps in Commagene, in 74 BC (that means the date falls in the Seleucid era), rather than in 59 BC, because the existence of the eklogistes in the Pontic Kingdom has not been confirmed by any documents. This date corresponds well to the archaeological date of the burial in Kosika to the early third quarter of the 1st century BC and the already published hypothesis, that the deceased could have been a participant of the Asia Minor campaign of the Bosporan King Pharnakes in 49-47 BC.

MASCULINE WOMEN OR FEMININE MEN? WEAPON FINDS IN SARMATIAN FEMALE GRAVES OF THE GREAT HUNGARIAN PLAIN

When building up a database of Sarmatian burials in the Great Hungarian Plain (Alfцld), that presently includes the complete material of 3949 burial features, we noticed some cases of the presence of typically «masculine» pieces of grave-goods in burials determined as female ones. The article deals with this phenomenon widely known in different cultures, observed in the burial rite. These are the findings of weapons or their fragments in female graves. It is difficult to determine the precise number of such burials in the case of the Alfцld Sarmatians because of the high number of looted burials and the inaccuracy of anthropological data. In this study, we collected five cases from four sites, among them the two largest published cemeteries (Madaras: arrowhead, Budapest-Pйceli ъt: arrowhead), and one under publication (Nyнregyбza-Felsősima-Gyebrбs-tanya: sword fragments in two graves) and two less-known grave groups (Szeged-Szőreg: sword fragment, Ъjszentivбn: sword fragment). We do not think that — usually with one exception — fragmented weapons found in female graves could have been used in their original function; nor do we connect this element of burial rite with the phenomenon of the armed women, the «Amazons» well-known in the barrows of the Volga-Ural region in the Sauromatian and Middle Sarmatian Age. These cases are very distant in time and space, however, some traces of archaic traditions cannot be completely excluded. Based on the material at our disposal, we would rather suggest the existence of the rite called the «transfer of objects to the otherworld» the analogies for which are known both in the archaeological — including Sarmatian (such a case was published by O. V. Symonenko from the elite burial of Vesnyanoe) — and ethnographical material.

NEW TAMGA SIGNS AND ELEMENTS OF SARMATIAN ARMAMENT AND EQUIPMENT FROM OLBIA

The series of new tamga signs from the latest excavations in Olbia, among which there are unique signs for the Sarmatian nomadic world are published in the paper. The tamgas are deposited on limestone which was found at a new site T-4 placed on the Terraced city of Olbia. Some signs have analogies on the marble lion from Olbia, in Scythian Neapolis, on the «plate-encyclopedia» from Panticapaeum, and on the territory of Asian Sarmatia. The period of existence of these tamgas in Olbia can be attributed to the second half of the 1st — the 2nd centuries AD. This was the time of close military-political relations between Olbia and the Sarmatians. During this period, the Sarmatian kings Farzoios and Inismeos minted in Olbia gold and silver coins with their generic tamga-sign, and the Olbian ambassadors met the Sarmatian kings in the city.
 In the upper layers of the site T-4 there were also found the elements of Sarmatian weapons and equipment such as the iron arrowhead, bone arrowheads, and iron quiver hooks, which are unique for the region. Bone arrowheads and quiver hooks have analogies in the Sarmatian burials of the Volga region and could be associated with the appearance of Sarmatian nomads in the Northern Pontic region which can be associated with the appearance of Sarmatian nomads in the Northern Black Sea region, who came in the middle — third quarter of the 1st century AD from the Volga-Don steppes. Objects with tamga signs in Olbia are usually accompanied by iron and bone arrowheads, bow detailes, elements of horse bridle, buckles etc. All of this, in general, is the evidences of the direct Sarmatian presence in the city in the Roman period.

TRANSPORT AMPHORAE FROM THE SARMATIAN BURIAL GROUNDS OF BUDJAK (the Last Third of 2nd—3rd Cent. AD)

The transport amphorae discovered in the Budjak’s Sarmatian burial assemblages of the last third of 2nd—3rd century AD are analyzed in the paper. These containers collection consists of the amphorae of variation C IVC and C IVD by S. Yu. Vnukov, variation I B by A. Opaiţ and the vessels of undefined kind. In its turn, amphorae C IVD could be divided on subvariation C IVD1 and C IVD2. Among the researched materials the containers for olive oil, fish products transportation are absent and identified variation of amphorae are presented exceptionally the wine vessels. The big majority of Budjak’s Sarmatian’s sites amphorae of marked time belong to the production of Heraclea Pontica. Such popularity of Heraclean wine among the nomads we can explain not only by its relative cheapness or by taste partialities of its buyers. The small sizes of vessels of variation C IVC and C IVD by S. Yu. Vnukov helped forward to their transportation by land on the big distances. The recent notice can regard also the amphorae of variation I B by A. Opaiţ, produced in Lower Danube area. The main wine suppliers to the Sarmatian population of Budjak, were, apparently, the merchants from Tyras, the part of goods came from the «little border trade» with Lower Moesia and Dacia. The peak of amphorae containers entrance to Budjak accounts for the last third of 2nd — the middle of second quarter of 3rd c. AD., which was helped forward by the stable war-political appointments in the region. In the second half of 3rd c. AD. the entrance volume of these containers on the researched territory greatly decline, that, in its turn, was connected with the «Scythian» («Gothic») wars of 238—270 years AD.

THE SECOND STAGE OF SARMATIAN SETTLEMENT IN WALLACHIA

The aim of this paper is to discuss the features of the graves that can be attributed to the second stage of Sarmatian settlement in Wallachia. The first stage of arrival of the Sarmatians in Wallachia can be dated in the last decade of the 1st century AD and the first decades of the 2nd century AD. The second stage of arrival of the Sarmatians in Wallachia, linked to the Marcomannic Wars, begins in the late 2nd century AD and continues during the following century. Sarmatians entered Wallachia not as enemies of the Roman Empire, but as allies always supervised by the Roman troops. A number of 153 graves can be linked with the second stage of Sarmatian settlement in Wallachia, whose territorial distribution, although extended in comparison with the first stage, does not uniformly cover the entire territory of Wallachia. The features of Sarmatian burials are discussed in detail: grave layout (types of interments, orientation, position of the deceased, age and sex of the individuals), main categories of grave goods (pottery, adornments, dress accessories, toilet implements, household tools, weapons). Based on this analysis, the main features of the funerary ritual are emphasized. The tendency to uniform the orientation and the position of the deceased individuals can be clearly observed. As regards the funerary inventory, not only the diversity of the categories of items is visible, but also their deposit in higher numbers in the burials. Dacian pottery is deposited even more often than the handmade Sarmatian pottery, but the Roman imports not only register the same low frequency, but also do not differ too much compared to the previous stage. A clear change in the display of the status during the period between the late 2nd century AD and the middle of the following century can be noticed: the tumuli lose their significance as status markers, grave goods with significant value disappear, possible higher status is emphasized by association of several items. Against a general background of diversification and increase in the number of items chosen to be deposited inside the grave, a real series of female burials stands out. The loss of the Roman control over Wallachia resulted in the sudden decrease, until almost extinction, of the number of Sarmatian discoveries here.

NEW SARMATIAN BARROWS IN THE MIDDLE KHOPER BASIN

In 2018—2019, the Yelan archaeological expedition of the Voronezh State University excavated the barrows near Ivanovka village on the Yelan River in the Novokhopyorsky District, Voronezh Region. Sarmatian barrows had not been excavated in this area before. The barrows with the height of 0.5—5 m are situated on the slope of the headland on the right bank of the Yelan and the left bank of its tributary, the Tatarka River. Most of the barrow group had never been plowed and remained in the natural steppe landscape representing a fragment of fescue-feather grass steppe. The expedition excavated two Sarmatian barrows up to 0.5 m high and up to 20 m in diameter, being a part of the «long-running» barrow group Ivanovka 7 (about 40 mounds). The north-western sector of the Barrow 25 contained the only burial found under the mound top with the size of 2 Ч 2.1 m and the depth of 0.9—1 m from the native soil level. The buried lied diagonally with the head directed to the north-west. The skull had features of artificial deformation. In the southern corner there were some broken vessels — a large gray-clay dish with small ruminant bones, a large one-handle jar with the brown surface and a small gray-clay jar with a hollow handle. On the bottom there was an iron adze with wooden remains inside the plug. Between the shin-bone and wall there was an iron knife and 16 small iron three-bladed arrow heads. At the end of the right hand there was a piece of bone piercer. The barrow is dated to the Late Sarmatian period (middle of the 2nd century AD). Though this barrow group is now situated in the forest steppe the study of buried soil showed its clearly steppe nature. Therefore the studied burials do not differ from the bulk of late Sarmatian burials found in steppes of the Volga and Don interfluve area.

ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES OF THE LOWER VOLGA REGION OF THE 2nd—1st CENTURIES BC AND SOME ETHNIC ISSUES OF THE SARMATIANS

The paper concerns with chronological analysis of Early Sarmatian military burials with two swords in the Lower Volga region dated to the last centuries BC. There are two combinations of the different bladed weapons in the burials: swords with a ring pommel and daggers with a crescent-shaped pommel; swords without metal pommel with the rhomboid cross-bar and daggers with a crescent-shaped pommel. Swords and daggers with a crescent-shaped pommel are absent in the burials after the turn of AD. Swords and daggers with ring pommel or rhomboid-shaped cross-bar have appeared during the new migration wave in the Lower Volga region not earlier than in the 2nd century BC. This determines the chronological framework of the assemblages. Daggers and swords with a crescent-shaped pommel are the local product, they were used much earlier than the swords of migratory origin. The authors suggest that the emergence of innovations is associated with the migration of the 2nd—1st centuries BC from Central Asia, because in addition to swords with ring pommel and bronze cross-bar without metal pommel, there were found bronze openwork and lattice buckles, jet buckles and cubic incense burners, well known in the East.
 The burials with Northern direction and wooden decks have the analogies in Tuvan antiquities of the Xiungnu-Sarmatian time. At the same time in ancient sources there is a list of tribes among which Aorsi and Top Aorsi on the Don and in the Volga region, Rhoxolani in the Northern Pontic region and Siraci in the Kuban region are mentioned. Although all this area was called Sarmatia, the name Sarmatians is not included in this list. The authors believe that the new tribes replaced the Sarmatians but in Greek literary tradition the territory retained its old familiar name. In addition to swords and daggers with the crescent-shaped pommel, other items known as early as the 4th—3rd centuries BC continue to occur in the burials, and the burial rite continues to preserve the custom of southern direction of the buried and the practice of placing the burial in a circle or in a row under the mound. All this is the evidence of the unique symbiosis of two cultural traditions: the previous local and newcomer Central Asian.

PHALERAE THE DECORATION OF HORSE HEADGEAR FROM BARROW 1 ON ZUBOVSKI KHUTOR

The reasons for the alternative attribution of seven gold belt plates from the Sarmatian burial of the barrow 1 near Zubovski Khutor at the Kuban river region (1st century BC — 1st century AD) are proposed in the paper. During the period from the moment of excavations of this barrow (1899) three variants of the interpretation for these findings have been offered: as the belt decorations (К. Е. Dumberg, I. I. Gushchina, I. P. Zaseczkaya, M. B. Shchukin, V. I. Mordvintseva, etc), and as the fibula-brooch (М. I. Rostovczev, N. V. Anfimov, М. P. Аbramova) or phalerae for ceremonial horse harness (А. P. Маnczevich, М. Yu. Treister, А. V. Simonenko).
 The barrow was excavated by amateur and the methodic level of this work was poor. Due to the circumstances it seems inappropriate trust the data from the first publication of the findings. The belt plates version has no parallels among findings and materials from various Sarmatian burial assemblages since 1899. We There were no findings of plates decorating the belt. The interpretation of these items as fibula-brooch proves to be false as the plates did not equipped with pins and spring devices at their backsides.
 The correct interpretation for the plates seems to be phalerae of the horse headgear. This version is proved with well documented findings of horse equipment of the 1st—2nd centuries AD which contains from 6 to 12 phalerae of the similar size. It is also known the horse equipment containing just seven phalerae which decorate the headgear — from the burials in Kosika (Lower Volga region) and in Yashkul (Kalmykia). The important factor seems to be the way of fixing of these items to the straps of horse equipment. One can see the laminar wirers on the back of one phalera founded in the barrow 1 near Zubovski Khutor.

Bracelet from Salamatino: Problem of Identifying Zoomorphic Images

The article is devoted to the analysis of zoomorphic images on a spiral gold bracelet from the Sarmatian burial of the 1st century AD in Salamatino village in Volgograd region, as well as the problem of interpreting the image of a fantastic animal on the bracelet ends. The stylistic and technological peculiarities of the jewelry can serve as indicators of cultural identity of the subject. The bracelet is made, most likely, by a barbarian craftsman modeled after some kind of non-locally made jewelry. The closest dupe in compositional and pictorial characteristics to the incomprehensible animal on the ends of the Salamatino bracelet is a fantastic creature on the pair of bracelets from the Oxus Treasure (British Museum), stylistically different from the images of Iranian art of the Achaemenid era. The origin of this pair of bracelets is unknown, however, some stylistic features allow for non-exclusion of the assumptions of Chinese or Central Asian jewelry production or the existence of certain jewelry workshops in a region affected by the cultural influence of both Iran and China. Another distant analogy in style for the pair of bracelets from the Oxus Treasure is represented by images of predatory animals on gold torcs from the Stavropol treasure. The chronological gap between the Salamatino bracelet and the jewelry from the Oxus and Stavropol treasures does not allow one to link them unequivocally, but the similarity features certainly indicate the presence of common cultural roots. Identifying a fantastic hybrid animal on the ends of the Salamatino bracelet as any specific mythological creature is not yet possible.

About Metal Rings of the “Zubovsky-Vozdvizhenskaya Type” Adorned with Sculptured Anthropomorphic and Zoomorphic Images

Metallic rings with sculpture images of anthropomorphic and zoomorphic types are known from the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries amongst findings in Sarmatian burials of “Golden Cemetery” burial ground in the region of the Kuban river. These days they present a distinctive feature of the material culture of the Zubovsky-Vozdvizhenskaya group sites. Some analogous artifacts were found in mounds of the Volga river and Don river regions. There is no single definition for the functional use of such rings. The main reason for that is the fact that they had been found mostly in graves plundered in ancient times. The researchers assume them to be finials for some wooden structure, supports for vessels or elements of horsey harness. The hypothesis concerning harness seems to be better justified. In his first reports about findings of the rings with sculptured images N.I. Veselovskiy mentioned some fragments of leather remaining around the rings. Since in many cases those findings form pairs, it seems reasonable to assume them to be some symmetrical distributors of the belts for the horsey head harness.

Позднесарматские погребения курганной группы Ергенинский (по материалам раскопок 1981–1982 гг.)

Начавшиеся в 1970-х гг. планомерные раскопки в Калмыкии, проводимые экспедициями из гг. Москвы, Петербурга и Элисты, выявили новые памятники позднесарматской культуры. В данной статье рассмотрены подробно четыре погребения раннего железного века, исследованные в курганной группе Ергенинский. Три погребения из этого числа — впускные и единственное погребение в кургане № 7 — основное. И одно впускное, женское захоронение безынвентарное. Проанализированы особенности погребального обряда и инвентаря, установлена их датировка и этнокультурная принадлежность к позднесарматской культуре. Позднесарматская культура была распространена в степной зоне от Южного Приуралья до Северного Причерноморья в II–IV вв. до н. э. Первые элементы позднесарматской культуры в Нижнем Поволжье появляются на рубеже I–II вв. н. э. — начале II в. н. э. За это время сложились характерные для позднесарматского сообщества черты погребального обряда. К тому же наряду с новыми сохранялись и старые традиции погребального обряда.

LOCAL AND INTERREGIONAL TYPES OF BEADS FROM LATE SARMATIAN FEMALE BURIALS IN THE STEPPE OF EASTERN EUROPE

The most numerous category of finds among the funeral utensils in the Late Sarmatian female burials are the beads. Despite the mass and standardization, their potential as the dependable markers of date and location is still not developed completely. So one of the promising directions is to identify the zones of geographical distribution of the types of beads, that is, the selection of local and interregional types.
 The data base of the study consisted of 38 Late Sarmatian burials containing more than 7050 beads.
 At the first stage, a series of types of beads were classified according to the informative degree. Thus 39 types (found only in one buried) were considered poor informative. Other 56 types are considered well informative, because they were found in two or more burials.
 In the second stage, among 56 informative types,17 local markers (those found in two or more graves from one geographic region) were identified. All assemblages were dated according the dates of burials where they have been discovered.
 In the third stage, the remaining 39 informative types have been identified as interregional (those found in two or more graves from the territories of two or more regions of the studied range of distribution of the Late Sarmatian culture). They were also dated according the dates of burials. Thus, the result of the study is the selection of local and interregional markers of Late Sarmatian female burials from the territory of the steppe of Eastern Europe.