Part II Archaeological Excavations - Center for the Study of Eurasian ...

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Kurgans, Ritual Sites, and Settlements: Eurasian Bronze and Iron Age Fig. 6.. Baite III Sanctuary. An anthropomorphic statue. Fig. 7. Baite III Sanctuary. An anthropomorphic statue. Fig. 8. Baite III Sanctuary. An anthropomorphic statue. 42 Fig. 9. Baite III. Stone sacrificial table (altar).
Excavations of the Aksai Kurgans in the Volga-Don Region (Russia) A. N. Dyachenko, A. S. Skripkin, V. M. Klepikov, A. I. Kubyshkin Abstract In July 1997, a joint research expedition of Volgograd State University (Russia) and Mansfield University (USA) excavated nine ancient burial mounds (kurgans) on the Aksai River in the Volga-Don region. A total of 41 burials were discovered dating from 3000 BC to AD 300. Burials dated to the Bronze Age represented three pre-Sauromatian steppe cultures: Pit, Catacomb, and Timber-Frame, characterized by the flexed position and earthenware ceramics as grave goods. The Early Iron Age was represented by one undisturbed burial of the Sauromatian Culture (700–400 BC) and 18 burials of the Sarmatian Culture (200 BC–300 AD). For the first time in this region, a painted Greek amphora was found in a Sauromatian burial along with a bronze plate on which were depicted three griffin heads. Similar bronze plates are found in Scythian sites along the northern Black Sea coast. Artifacts such as long and short swords, arrowheads, ceramics, beads, bronze mirrors, and fibulae were found in the Sarmatian burials. Preliminary analyses of these excavations demonstrate that the Sarmatian Culture in the Volga-Don region had connections with China in the east as well as with the western Roman Empire provinces. Keywords kurgans, Bronze Age, Iron Age, Sauromatian, Sarmatian, Greek amphora Introduction At the beginning of the 21 st century anthropologists and archaeologists not only have new challenges but also new colleagues. With the dissolution of the Soviet Union, scholars from the old Soviet countries have emerged to seek cooperation with their international counterparts. Mansfield University in Pennsylvania, USA, and Volgograd State University, Volgograd, Russia, began an archaeological research exchange in July 1997 to excavate kurgans along the Aksai River, located on the left bank of the Don River, in the steppes between the Volga and Don rivers. Alexander Nicholaevich Dyachenko and Anatoly Stepanovich Skripkin directed the expedition, which included Volgograd State University students, four Mansfield University students, and three students from the University of Cologne, Germany. Volgograd State University, Russia A. Mabe Mansfield University, Mansfield PA, USA Translated from Russian by A. I. Kubyshkin and A. Mabe 43 The Excavations The site consisted of eleven kurgans, measuring from 0.2 to 2.5 m in height, and from 12 to 45 m in diameter, located in meadow flood lands of the steppe river Esaul Aksai on the left bank of Don River, four kilometers southwest of Aksai village (Fig. 1). The expedition excavated nine kurgans containing a total of 41 burials. Burials were unevenly distributed in the kurgans. Four kurgans (1, 4, 5, and 7) each had one burial, three (2, 3, and 6) had three burials each, Kurgan 9 contained 12 burials, and Kurgan 8 held 16 burials. The material from the Aksai mounds represents a diversity of artifacts and long time span. Chronologically the burials are attributed to two epochs: 23 of the burials belong to the Bronze Age and 18 to the Early Iron Age. This article continues the published research reports on the archaeology of the Volga-Don region by Volgograd State University in 1994-1997 (Dyachenko, et al., 1995, Klepikov and Shinkar 1997). Kurgan 9 is the oldest and is attributed to the Early Bronze Age (3000–2000 BC). Kurgans 6 and 8 were constructed during the Middle Bronze period (2000–1500 BC). Kurgans 2 and 3 were constructed in the Early Iron Age (600–500 BC). The remaining, 1, 4, 5, and 7, were created during the final period of the Early Iron Age (200–300 AD). The Aksai River burials date to all three classical cultures of the southeastern European Bronze Age: one Pit burial of the Early Bronze Age, six Catacomb burials of the Middle Bronze Age, and 14 Timber-Frame burials of the Late Bronze Age. A variety of grave goods were discovered in these burials including Bronze Age ceramics and beads that are typical of this region. This paper will focus on the burial complexes of the Early Iron Age which contained unusual artifacts allowing us to further understand the history of the people who occupied the area. Historic Sources and Burial Assemblages of the Early Iron Age The Early Iron Age of the steppes between the Volga and Don Rivers coincides with the history of the Sauromatian and Sarmatian tribes and dates from 700 BC–400 AD. The beginning of the Iron Age is associated with the distribution of iron throughout southeastern Europe and ends with the Hunnic in-
Page 1 and 2: Part II Archaeological Excavations
Page 3 and 4: Ancient Sanctuaries of the Aral and
Page 5 and 6: A dagger for both hunting and battl
Page 7 and 8: the powerful influence of the Helle
Page 9 and 10: Fig. 1. Map of the Aral-Caspian Reg
Page 11: Fig. 3. Konai Sanctuary. An example
Page 15 and 16: thetically described. The undisturb
Page 17 and 18: here from the Early through Middle
Page 19 and 20: 49 Excavations of the Aksai Kurgans
Page 21 and 22: 51 Excavations of the Aksai Kurgans
Page 23 and 24: Figure 6. Kurgan 6 with 3 burials:
Page 25 and 26: Figure 8. Kurgan 8: 1- Plan of Kurg
Page 27 and 28: Figure 10. Figures 1-8- Middle Sarm
Page 29 and 30: Figure 12. Early Catacomb Burial 16
Page 31 and 32: Figure 14. Kurgan 9: 1- burial 5 (u
Page 33 and 34: Burials and Settlements at the Eura
Page 35 and 36: Prygovsky Archaeological Complex Th
Page 37 and 38: Clay vessels from the excavations n
Page 39 and 40: cultural sequences that were brough
Page 41 and 42: Fig. 1. Location of the sites that
Page 43 and 44: Fig. 6. Prygovo settlement.some art
Page 45 and 46: The Environment of Iron Age Burials
Page 47 and 48: Malakazakhbaievo site during the Ir
Page 53 and 54: The Kazakh-American TalgarProject A
Page 55 and 56: aerial photographs reveal that ther
Page 57 and 58: Table 2. Counts of kurgan locations
Page 59 and 60: The Beiram Mound A Nomadic Cultic S
Page 61 and 62: kilometers adjacent to the high roa
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in the region. The thousands of oth
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Tatar, M. 1992. Through the Sayan M
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Table 5. Central Pit, Levels 7 to 1
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Fig. 3. Beiram Mound in the foregro
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101 The Beiram Mound: A Nomadic Cul
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Fig. 10 (opposite page). Artifacts
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Fig. 17. Two iron slag deposits wer
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