Occasional findings of Early Scythian Bronze items time of East Kazakhstan

Abstract

Aim. Over the past decade some significant findings supplemented model Scythian-Saka items of the complex of artifacts from the funerary monuments of early Scythian culture of the VII–VI centuries BC. In the present paper, we examine occasional findings of bronze objects of military belt fittings and parts of horse harness of the early stage of Saka culture found in East Kazakhstan. The primary task of this article is to determine cultural and chronological attribution of the occasional findings found near Barshatas, East Kazakhstan. Results. The chronological and cultural attributes of the materials are determined on the basis of a comparative typological analysis and developed characteristics of the early Saka culture. Some findings are dated back to the beginning of the VII–VI c. BC. Basing on the foregoing and considering the design of elements of almost identical Tasmolyn and Mayamer cultures, it is impossible to talk about the precise boundaries of the early Saka time cultures. Tal-king about the monument, its belonging to any culture is difficult to define. Similar harness kits and military belts of the early Saka time were found in the large part of the Scythian-Saka-Siberian area. At later stages of development they became a prototype. However, judging by the random findings, which have artistic and mythological decorations in the form of a spiral ornament and relief images on the details, we can conclude that they originate from relatively «rich» burials among the funerary complexes of the early Saka time known in East Kazakhstan until now. Conclusion. East Kazakhstan region is a kind of center of various cultures of the Scythian-Saka-Siberian world. They were very closely linked there. Therefore, it opens up new horizons in the study of the key attributes of the Scythian-Saka archeology in relation to a problem of the optimal arrangement of the funerary monuments of the time, and to the search for intercultural relations with other time-synchronous ethnic groups.

Keywords

• East Kazakhstan
• archaeological culture
• Scythian-Saka-Siberian cultural area
• Scythian-Saka epoch
• Early Nomads
• horse harness