Morpho-Technological Characteristics of Beads from the 4th–5th Centurues ad Dubrovskiy Cemetery in the Middle Kama Region

Abstract

The article presents a morpho-technological analysis of glass beads collection from the Dubrovskiy burial ground – one of the new sites of the Mazunino time in the Middle Kama region. The burial ground features distinct planning, similar form and placement of burials, rather large graves, distinct male and female funerary items. Acсording to preliminary gender and age analysis, proportions of men and women are fairly similar, children and teenagers burials make only about one fifth of all graves. Beads are found in every third burial. Morpho-technological characteristics of the Dubrovskiy burial ground beads are similar to the Middle Kama region sites dating to I millennium AD: dominance of the turquoise glass beads, made by cutting a glass tube, small percentage of beads made by cutting a stick, beads made by winding. Funerary collections’ features include presence of distinct female headdresses, decorated with bronze detailing and beads, low quantity of beads with metallic cushion and total absence of decorated beads. The North Black Sea region seems to be the main source of beads in the Kama region at the time.

Keywords

• archаeology
• Middle Kama region
• Mazunino culture
• Dubrovskiy burial ground
• glass beads
• morphology
• technology