SKRIPKIN A.S., MOISEEV V.I., KRIVOSHEEV M.V. Early Sarmatian Burials from Verhniy Balykley I Kurgan Cemetery in Trans-Volga Region

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.15688/jvolsu4.2022.3.5

Doctor of Sciences (History), Professor,

Department of Russian and World History, Archaeology, Volgograd State University,

Prosp. Universitetsky, 100, 400062 Volgograd, Russian Federation

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0141-5761

Vladimir I. Moiseev

Researcher,

Laboratory of Archaeological Research, Volgograd State University,

Prosp. Universitetsky, 100, 400062 Volgograd, Russian Federation

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5110-733X

Mikhail V. Krivosheev

Candidate of Sciences (History), Head of the Laboratory of Archaeological Research,

Volgograd State University,

Prosp. Universitetsky, 100, 400062 Volgograd, Russian Federation

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https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4847-8209

Abstract. 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.

Key words: nomads, Lower Volga steppes, kurgans, Early Sarmatian culture, the 3rd – 1th centuries BC.

Citation. Skripkin A.S., Moiseev V.I., Krivosheev M.V. Early Sarmatian Burials from Verhniy Balykley I Kurgan Cemetery in Trans-Volga Region. Vestnik Volgogradskogo gosudarstvennogo universiteta. Seriya 4. Istoriya. Regionovedenie. Mezhdunarodnye otnosheniya [Science Journal of Volgograd State University. History. Area Studies. International Relations], 2022, vol. 27, no. 3, pp. 74-95. (in Russian). DOI: https://doi.org/10.15688/jvolsu4.2022.3.5.

Early Sarmatian Burials from Verhniy Balykley I Kurgan Cemetery in Trans-Volga Region by Skripkin A.S., Moiseev V.I., Krivosheev M.V. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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