On Some Peculiarities of Using Girth Clasps by the South Ural Area at Scythian Time

Abstract

The article is devoted to the research of peculiarities of using girth clasps by the nomadic cattlebreeders living in the steppes of South Ural area in 6th-4th centuries BC. The analysis of location of metal parts of girth clasps in interments of horses, the quantity and content of these details in interments of people and sacrificial places proves the point about the preferable usage of girth clasps by nomads at the end of 6th-4th centuries BC, which looked like rings, horse brasses with fixed ledge-stops being perpendicular towards the plane of clasp. The left clasp consisted of two metal parts, the right – of one part. The presence, quantity and location of ledge-stops were caused by the purpose of details of clasps. The deviation from this rule is recorded. In the article probable variants of different types of parts of clasps are studied.

Keywords

• south ural area
• early iron age
• nomads
• burial mounds
• horse manhood
• harness
• girth clasps