Glass Jewelry from the Golden Horde City of Majar

Abstract

This paper introduces into scientific discourse a collection of 153 glass jewelry items. They take their origin from the Madjar archaeological site of the Golden Horde period (presently – Budyonnovsky district in Stavropol Krai). The study uses typological principles introduced by M.D. Poluboyarinova. A classification of the items demonstrated that large quantities of monochrome beads having numerous counterparts and dated the 11th-16th centuries are discovered at this archaeological site. An important place among the monochrome beads is occupied by turquoise-colored beads, which were most common in the Golden Horde cities of the Volga region (mid-13th–14th centuries). Spotted, eyed and striped beads were also widespread and produced in the same cities. These types of items also form a significant part of the studied collection. It has been found that the pendants from the Madjar collection have counterparts in nomadic Golden Horde burials and are discovered on the sites of Central Asia. The studied collection of glass jewelry from Madjar demonstrates a direct correlation with craft workshops of the Golden Horde cities of the Volga region, whose traditions were formed with the predominant influence of Khorezm and Iranian ones, although the influence of pre-Mongolian glasswork of Volga Bulgaria and Rus has been traced.

Keywords

• archaeology
• the golden horde
• glass beads
• typology
• the madjar
• glassmaking