Beads of the Dubrovskiy Burial Ground (4th–5th Centuries A.D.) in the Middle Kama Region: Classifi cation and Use

Abstract

The article introduces the results of the study of beads originating from Dubrovskiy burial ground – one of the new sites of the Mazunino time in the Middle Kama region. The collection of beads from the Dubrovskiy burial ground contained 3018 beads, and 2992 of them were used for classification and divided into 32 types. The authors offer descriptions of beads and the findings of the quantitative analysis of their frequency in graves, as well as their location related to the buried body. Specific uses of beads by male and female groups of the paleopopulation who left this necropolis is considered. The beads are found almost in every third burial. While more than half of them contained 1–3 beads, almost one fifth of the burials had more than a hundred beads. The big number of beads, as a rule, is associated with female head dresses, which were decorated by 1–2 rows of bead strings along the lower trim, or where beads were combined with metal elements. Apparently, different types of headdress reflect the gender and age of the buried. In addition, the beads were often used in temple pendants, which were part of a gift set or a headdress. Large beads were included in belt set of swords and (or) knives, with a number of knives found not only in the graves of men but also women of mature age (25–45 years).

Keywords

• archaeology
• Middle Kama region
• 3rd – 5th centuries
• beads
• classification
• male and female sets of beads
• headdress
• temple pendants with beads
• belt pendants