Archaeoastronomy and Ancient Technologies (Jul 2014)
Sanctuary of Eneolithic and Bronze Age in Western Siberia, as a source of astronomical knowledge and cosmological ideas in antiquity
Abstract
In article are considered the revealed astronomical knowledge and cosmological representations of the ancient population of the given territory on the basis of materials of excavation sanctuaries of Eneolit (Savin 1, Slobodchiki 1, Velizhany 2) and of Bronze Age (Suzgun 2, Chudsky Mountain) forest-steppe and South taiga working areas of water areas of the rivers Tobols and Irtysh. The source for their reconstruction are features of the organisation of the sacral space, connected with a landscape tie in, a planishing and architecture of sanctuaries in whole and their separate objects, character of functioning, specificity of cult-ceremonial actions, semantics of separate subjects of ritual appointment, a territorial and cultural accessory of the investigated monuments. Using available archaeological certificates in uniform system of comparison to the data of archaeoastronomy and ethnology, the author of article tries to reveal communication of the set of general signs of cult places established in the course of research with concrete representations of the ancient population about Universe. Under the available data, a basis of astronomical knowledge and connected with them cosmological representations made issued in the end of Neolith - Eneolit three-private Model of the World in its horizontal and vertical projections. The leading forms of departure of cults were the collective sacrifices closely connected with calendar ceremonialism. According to astronomical tie ins, the greatest sacrifices were made in days of an autumn equinox during mass hunting for hoofed animals of animals. Observable communication of the basic ceremonies with sunrise and lunar cycles testifies to existence of solar and lunar cults. The basic schemes and elements of the given model of the Universe and their display in ritually-ceremonial practice have remained at the local native population of considered territory (Mansi, Khanty) to the ethnographic present. This similarity is caused by continuity of cultural traditions, affinity of ethnic structure of the population, specificity of inhabitancy in a wood working area.
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