Reconstruction of Female Costume From the Elite Burial Ground Taksay-I: a View of the Archaeologist

Abstract

The article presents a reconstruction of the female costume from the central grave of barrow no. 6 of the early Sarmatian burial ground Taksay-I (Western Kazakhstan). The author examines some key elements of the costume: dress, kaftan and headdress, with small sewed-on badges, biconic beads and pendant amulets of wolf fangs and teeth as main decorative elements. It is established that the female costume was decorated by elements of jewelry and personal effects, which altogether made up a logical composition, with each item on its own place and invested with a symbolic meaning. Majority of items were manufactured in animal style. The buried woman’s headdress points to her high social status: presumably, she was a priestess.

Keywords

• Western Kazakhstan
• early Iron Age
• nomads
• barrow
• reconstruction
• decoration
• animal style
• protoma
• symbol
• pendant amulet