Early Sarmatian Burials from Verhniy Balykley I Kurgan Cemetery in Trans-Volga Region
The paper introduces into scientific discourse the materials of the early Sarmatian burials from the Verkhniy Balykley I kurgan cemetery from the area of the Volgograd Trans-Volga region. This monument was studied in the course of the 1978–1979 expedition organized by the Volgograd State Pe...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | Russian |
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Volgograd State University
2022-06-01
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| Series: | Вестник Волгоградского государственного университета. Серия 4. История, регионоведение, международные отношения |
| Online Access: | https://hfrir.jvolsu.com/index.php/en/component/attachments/download/2824 |
| _version_ | 1797694199654514688 |
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| author | Anatoly Skripkin Vladimir Moiseev Mikhail Krivosheev |
| author_facet | Anatoly Skripkin Vladimir Moiseev Mikhail Krivosheev |
| author_sort | Anatoly Skripkin |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The paper introduces into scientific discourse the materials of the early Sarmatian burials from the Verkhniy Balykley I kurgan cemetery from the area of the Volgograd Trans-Volga region. This monument was studied in the course of the 1978–1979 expedition organized by the Volgograd State Pedagogical Institute under the leadership of A.S. Skripkin. Materials. The burial includes four mounds located compactly on the banks of the reservoir and one single mound setting far away in the steppe. Eighteen inlet burials of the early Sarmatian time were found in three Bronze Age kurgans. Some burials contained no burial inventory; others did include a variety of grave goods. The funeral rites present a wide range of grave structures: pits with side chambers, simple rectangular pits and catacombs. The southern body orientation of the buried individuals was dominating. In kurgans 5 and 6, a circular arrangement of graves is traced, which is typical for early Sarmatian mounds-cemeteries. Material analysis. An analysis of the grave goods indicates 3rd – 1st centuries BC is the time of construction of most burials in these kurgans, which does not contradict the funeral rite traditions and reveals a range of features characteristic of the nomads of that period. A military burial with a long sword and arrows is one of the most distinguished in its kind. Ceramic material is represented by various stucco forms of pots, an incense burner and a jug. Fragments of mirrors with rollers along the edge and beads were discovered in several burials. Several stone “miniature hammers”, typical for the South Ural grave materials of this period, is also an interesting find. Conclusions. In general, the studied monuments illustrate the burial traditions of the early Sarmatian population of the Ural-Volga steppes of the early Sarmatian time. The finds of pottery samples, previously unknown stone “miniature hammers” in the west of the Volga, allow us to conclude on the cultural proximity of the nomads who left the mounds near the village Verhniy Balykley with the South Ural nomads. Authors’ contribution. In this paper, Anatoly S. Skripkin prepared a descriptive part of the archaeological material; Vladimir I. Moiseev analyzed the funeral rite and the inventory. Mikhail V. Krivosheev drew and presented conclusions on the analysis of the material. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T02:54:28Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-bf26963bcf924afca17eb3ce7346b4b2 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1998-9938 |
| language | Russian |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T02:54:28Z |
| publishDate | 2022-06-01 |
| publisher | Volgograd State University |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Вестник Волгоградского государственного университета. Серия 4. История, регионоведение, международные отношения |
| spelling | doaj.art-bf26963bcf924afca17eb3ce7346b4b22023-09-03T15:25:09ZrusVolgograd State UniversityВестник Волгоградского государственного университета. Серия 4. История, регионоведение, международные отношения1998-99382022-06-013749510.15688/jvolsu4.2022.3.5Early Sarmatian Burials from Verhniy Balykley I Kurgan Cemetery in Trans-Volga RegionAnatoly Skripkinhttps://orcid.org/0000-0003-0141-5761Vladimir Moiseevhttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-5110-733XMikhail Krivosheevhttps://orcid.org/0000-0003-4847-8209 The paper introduces into scientific discourse the materials of the early Sarmatian burials from the Verkhniy Balykley I kurgan cemetery from the area of the Volgograd Trans-Volga region. This monument was studied in the course of the 1978–1979 expedition organized by the Volgograd State Pedagogical Institute under the leadership of A.S. Skripkin. Materials. The burial includes four mounds located compactly on the banks of the reservoir and one single mound setting far away in the steppe. Eighteen inlet burials of the early Sarmatian time were found in three Bronze Age kurgans. Some burials contained no burial inventory; others did include a variety of grave goods. The funeral rites present a wide range of grave structures: pits with side chambers, simple rectangular pits and catacombs. The southern body orientation of the buried individuals was dominating. In kurgans 5 and 6, a circular arrangement of graves is traced, which is typical for early Sarmatian mounds-cemeteries. Material analysis. An analysis of the grave goods indicates 3rd – 1st centuries BC is the time of construction of most burials in these kurgans, which does not contradict the funeral rite traditions and reveals a range of features characteristic of the nomads of that period. A military burial with a long sword and arrows is one of the most distinguished in its kind. Ceramic material is represented by various stucco forms of pots, an incense burner and a jug. Fragments of mirrors with rollers along the edge and beads were discovered in several burials. Several stone “miniature hammers”, typical for the South Ural grave materials of this period, is also an interesting find. Conclusions. In general, the studied monuments illustrate the burial traditions of the early Sarmatian population of the Ural-Volga steppes of the early Sarmatian time. The finds of pottery samples, previously unknown stone “miniature hammers” in the west of the Volga, allow us to conclude on the cultural proximity of the nomads who left the mounds near the village Verhniy Balykley with the South Ural nomads. Authors’ contribution. In this paper, Anatoly S. Skripkin prepared a descriptive part of the archaeological material; Vladimir I. Moiseev analyzed the funeral rite and the inventory. Mikhail V. Krivosheev drew and presented conclusions on the analysis of the material.https://hfrir.jvolsu.com/index.php/en/component/attachments/download/2824 |
| spellingShingle | Anatoly Skripkin Vladimir Moiseev Mikhail Krivosheev Early Sarmatian Burials from Verhniy Balykley I Kurgan Cemetery in Trans-Volga Region Вестник Волгоградского государственного университета. Серия 4. История, регионоведение, международные отношения |
| title | Early Sarmatian Burials from Verhniy Balykley I Kurgan Cemetery in Trans-Volga Region |
| title_full | Early Sarmatian Burials from Verhniy Balykley I Kurgan Cemetery in Trans-Volga Region |
| title_fullStr | Early Sarmatian Burials from Verhniy Balykley I Kurgan Cemetery in Trans-Volga Region |
| title_full_unstemmed | Early Sarmatian Burials from Verhniy Balykley I Kurgan Cemetery in Trans-Volga Region |
| title_short | Early Sarmatian Burials from Verhniy Balykley I Kurgan Cemetery in Trans-Volga Region |
| title_sort | early sarmatian burials from verhniy balykley i kurgan cemetery in trans volga region |
| url | https://hfrir.jvolsu.com/index.php/en/component/attachments/download/2824 |
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