Summary
A.V.Komar (Kiev, Ukraine)
On Dating and Ethnocultural Attribution of the Shylovka Barrows
The paper deals with the analysis of two barrows of the Shylovka burial ground (the Middle Volga region) and their cultural and historical background. Detailed investigation of the burial mounds design, the funeral rite and goods has been carried out and their chronology determined. The author comes to the conclusion that the barrows described are closely related to the group of the Khazarian population who left the monuments of the Pereschepina culture. Shylovka barrows belong to the chronological horizon of Voznesenka (705-725 A.D.).
The origin and semantics of the "barrows with square ditches" have been analysed and two new terms for their attribution have been proposed, namely: "the barrow of the Early Saltov type" and "the kuruk barrow". The author has also studied the origin, ethnic and cultural attribution, and chronology of the Novinki type monuments, which, as the author argues, show a gradual development of the Pereschepina culture into the steppe variant of the Saltov culture attributed to the Stolbische-Starokorsunskaya chronological horizon (740-775 A.D.). These monuments belong not to the Bulgarians, but to the group of the Khazarian population who left the Shylovka barrows.
I.O.Gavritukhin (Moscow, Russia)
Chronology of the "Mid-Avarian" Period
1. The paper beargs on chronological scheme of the mid-Avarian period and develops further the authors's views (Ãàâðèòóõèí È.Î., 1990; Ãàâðèòóõèí È.Î., Îáëîìñêèé À.Ì., 1996) in terms of update investigations and publications. Attention is drawn to the importance of these materials for better understanding Eastern European antiquities. The author does not consider the attempts of some researchers to differentiate in their periodisation schemes the time when an artifact was manufactured and the time it got into a settlement layer or in a grave, to be of much relevance. In fact, such "periods" cover the time from a certain set of goods or their typical trait formation up to the time it becomes replaced by another set.
2. Among various approaches to "mid-Avarian" period definition the most promising seem to be those that interpret spesific features of that stage as reflecting most significant changes in the life of the Avarian Khaganate caused by the events of 620-630 A.D. With this in mind, we suggest that the archaeological sites of Bócsa -Pereschepina type, certain jewelry complexes (Fönlak, Adony, etc.) and some others belong to the "I mid-Avarian" period, while some Hungarian researchers attribute them as belonging to the "early Avarian" period. In Eastern Europe these sites are synchronous to certain styles of heraldic belt garniture, in particular to those presented in the hoards of Martynovka type. The horizon of "Igar - Ozora - Dunapentele" is suggested as a standard for the "II mid-Avarian" period.
3. The Tiszafüred-Majoros cemetery has contributed to better understanding of the late stages of the "mid-Avarian" period. In determining the site chronology we based on É.Garam's materials (1995), although our viewpoints deviate in evaluation of certain complexes and features contributing to stages differentiation, and also in establishing not only general zones of the cemetery, but compact groups of syncronous graves. Neither we share É.Garam's opinion that in the "late Avarian" period replacement of the population took place. As further development of the cemetery (Fig.25) was not connected with the "mid-Avarian" traditions, it remains beyond the subject of the given paper.
The Szeged-Makkoserdo cemetery materials (Fig.26, 26a) have confirmed the validity of the periodisation scheme developed on the basis of the Tiszafüred cemetery data. A Byzantian coin of 654-659 A.D. from interment 24 in Makkoserdo is an important repair for "b" stage of the Tiszafüred cemetery as well. The other repair to date this stage are sabres and stirrups with a straight footboard found among the antiquities of the "Igora - Ozora" horizon, which is dated back by the coin of 669-674 A.D.and the coin of 669-674 A.D. imitation. "C" stage of the Tiszafüred cemetery is partly synchronous to that horizon. The beginning of "d" stage is dated back to about 700 A.D., this seems to be the most appropriate chronology of the "late Avarian" period beginning.
4. The Kölked-Feketekapu A cemetery has furnished valuable data for identification of the early stages of the "mid-Avarian" period and its correlation with the "early Avarian" period. When analysing the materials the author used not only his original research data, but was guided by the observations of A. Kiss, P. Stadler and T. Vida. For periodisation of the site zones with analogous sets of ceramics have been distinguished. The stages thus determined have been then verified and specified by the belt garniture analysis and other finds distribution about the cemetery. The analogue things of the Merovingien circle and from Lombard Italy, Byzantian artifacts (buckles in particular), coins from the Avars' complexes (coins identified according to P.Somogyi, 1997) - all served as repairs for dating the periods under investigation.
5. Graphic resume of the observations is given on Fig. 64. Synchronisation of the basic sites with each other and with chronological systems of other monuments of Western and Eastern Europe, their historical background analysis have enabled us to interpret some cultural and histirical features of the "lugly" and "mid-Avarian" periods.
The "I early Avarian" period (FA-1: about 568-600) represents the material culture that had formed long before the events of 568 A.D. and still persisted for some time after the Avarian Khaganate formation. Fugitives from the hearts of Asia, Eastern Europe population groups, and the residents of the Carpathian Depression had customs and traditions of their own. Period A of the Kölked site represents just one aspect of that heterogeneous picture.
The "II early Avarian" period (FA-II: 470/600-620/640) represents a new historical situation. The material culture of that period comprises the local population's traditions and those brought in by the conquerors, it also reflects their interaction and the influence of the neighbouring peoples, especially those of Byzantia, the Balkan and the sub-Alpian population.
The "I mid-Avarian" period (MA-1: 620/640-660/680) shows growing cultural integration within the Khaganate borders: there appeared new features of cultural development of the population of the Carpathian Depression area, among them there were innovations in costume design that had international character. The disasters of 626 -630 A.D. obviously had great consequences. However, specific character of every archaeological site or a set of goods was forming in the course of gradual development, this should be taken into account when dating them.
The "II mid-Avarian" period (MA-II: 660/680-690/710) shows continuation of traditions and cultural peculiarities of the previous time. There must have been migrations from the East, but they hardly could have mass character and were unlikely to alter significantly the ethnic structure of the Carpathian Depression area. More important characteristics of the period seem to be the appearance of new centres of power and formation of new social and political structure, and the migration of certain groups of the population within the borders of the Avarian Khaganate. Geopolitical changes that took place after 660/680 A.D. should not be underestimated either. All the above mentioned trends acquired new forms in the "late Avarian" period.
V.Ye. Flyorova (Moscow, Russia)
Tumulus Interments in the Steppes of Eastern Europe and the ways of Khazaria's Culture Formation
The paper gives a survey of the sources and hypotheses on tumulus interments of the VIIth - early IXth c.c. scattered over the area from the Dnieper to theVolga rivers. These monuments play an important role in investigating the ways of Khazaria's culture formation. The author notes that in modern Ukrainian and Russian historiography there is a marked difference of opinion as to the ethnic, cultural and chronological attribution of these monuments. The following hypotheses could be mentioned: those attributing them mainly to the Khazars (Ye. Kruglov, A. Komar), or to the Bulgarians (Bagautdinov - Bogachev - Zubov, Matveyeva), and those indicating certain influence of the late Sarmat substratum (Vasyutkin, Maksimov). There are also considerable contradictions in chronological organisation of the material. In different authors divergence in dating various monuments can range from 50 to 100 years and more. Absolute dating being a complex problem, one cannot rely on the hypotheses based on chronological correlations with concrete historical events. Underdeveloped chronology makes it almost impossible to determine discreteness and continuity of such monuments as Sivashevka, Malaya Pereschepina, Voznesenka, "barrows with rectangular ditches", Novinki and Uren.
The author argues that the hypotheses on the Khazaran and Bulgarian tribes settling in the area are not sufficiently substantiated by archaeological data. Not all the details of funeral rites are taken into consideration, they being paid less attention as compared with grave goods. Such changes in the funeral rite as westward direction of interments and placing a saddle-horse into the grave appear convergently in the early Middle Ages. We can hardly regard them as the results of migration processes. The local groups of monuments have their own specific features. The comparison of the burial complexes of the Eastern Azov steppes (Priazovye region) and the Novinky barrows, the Uren-type monuments and those of the Volga and the Don rivers areas, the interments of Shylovka and Chir-Yurt showed no conformity with the criteria of migration reconstruction (according to L.S. Klein).
It should be emphasized, that modern historiography underestimates the role of the late Sarmat traditions in the process of Khazaria's culture formation, while the influence of the Huns' invasion and The First Turkish Khaganate's conquest upon the ethnogenesis of the Khazars is obviously overestimated. There is good evidence confirming the hypothesis that the traditions to bury the deceased in tumulus interments with niches or narrow pits could have survived since the Sarmat times. Not only the location of the late Sarmat settling and the early medieval barrows overlap, but also the main peculiarities of the funeral rite coinside, namely: embankment dimensions, the form of the graves, the number and poses of the deceased, their direction, the kinds of sacrificial animals, the character of funeral feasts, etc.
V.S.Aksyonov, A.A.Tortika (Kharkov, Ukraine)
Protobulgarian Interments in the Don and the Seversky Donets Basins in the VIIIth - Xth cc. The Problem of Polyvariance Rite and Ethnohistorical Interpretation
The paper bears on historical and archaeological interpretation of polyvariant funeral rites among the Protobulgarians, who inhabited the area between the Don and the Seversky Donets rivers. The analysis of the data obtained from the Protobulgarian burial grounds dated back from the VIIIth to the Xth cc. A.D., and the interments containing horse remains in particular, give evidence of the heterogeneous ethnic structure of the tribal and territorial communities, that had left the monuments under discussion. Each community had its own formation history, it determining the proportion of specific ethnic features of their funeral rite. The authors suggest classification of those features and their comparative characteristics. They also propose hypotheses for explaining the phenomenon of polyvariant funeral rites.
The analysis of the early medieval history of the Protobulgarians, their nomad culture and the stage of their social development, as well as the data of geographical history of South-Eastern Europe, give the grounds for restoration of historical, ethnic and cultural situation in the area after the Khazars' expansion and submission of Protobulgarian tribes by the Khazarian Khaganate. In that period the Protobulgarian tribal structure and the system of settling were destroyed, and big tribes and tribal units ceased to exist.
The remains of various tribal groups sought refuge in the outlaying areas of the steppe zone: in the Crimea, on the left bank of the Dnieper and in the forest-steppe zone of the Seversky Donets river. The old tribes were replaced by new nomad groups and families (aeels) that emerged when those tribes and families that had survived started merging. As different customs and traditions began merging too, their new variants appeared soon. The ethnic structure of every new tribal and family group differed, this determining specific character of their cultural traditions, and funeral rite in particular. By the end of the VIIth c. - early VIIIth c. the military and political situation in the Khazarian Khaganate became more stable and the Protobulgarians restored their habitual way of living in the steppe and forest-steppe zone of the Don and the Dnieper basins. As the Khazars opposed their unification and appearance of bigger Protobulgarian communities, the latter had preserved the elements of ethnic and cultural isolation within the whole history of the Khaganate.
The tribes on the territories of forest-steppe zone in the Seversky Donets and the Oskol basins preserved their economic cycle, but being deprived of their habitual pastures, they gradually passed to a half-settled way of life. It is to those Protobulgarian tribes that such archaeological sites as Volokonovka, Sukhaya Gomolsha and Krasnogorovka cemetries most probably belong. It is also not unlikely that the Protobulgarian territories were part of the Alans' feudal formations, which were, in their turn, constituents of the Khazarian Khaganate. The representatives of those communities might have served in the Alans' detachments on the borders of Kiev Russ and other Slavonic territories. The ethnic situation of the communities was heterogeneous and could not be characterised in general. We consider the attempts to attribute the non-Alan population of the region to a definite people mentioned in written sources to be not constructive enough. It is much more promissing to determine ethnic features of each cemetery separately as of the site that has been left by a separate tribal group with its own history, each group transforming gradually into a territorial community within the feudal possessions of the Khazarian Khaganate.
The investigation of separate Protobulgarian cemetries of the upper and mid-flow of the Seversky Donets river gives evidence that there are burials with obvious traits of the Turkish, Hungarian and Iranian (Sarmatian) funeral rites.
V.V.Koloda (Kharkov, Ukraine)
The Pottery of Saltov (on the materials of the trade centre of the natural boundary of Roganin)
The article is dedicated to the analysis of the remains of pottery production, revealed in one of the trade centres of the Saltov-Mayatsky archaeological culture in the Kharkov region. The paper gives a description of four previously unknown types of potter's furnaces which were found there. The centre manufactured kitchen pots on a mass scale. According to their capacity the vessels can be divided into three groups: those with the capacity of 0.5-0.65 litres, the ones with the capacity of 2.4-3.4 litres, and those with the capacity of 7-8 litres.
The trade centre was the place of season work for both potters and iron -melting artisans in the IXth c. A.D.
E.Ye.Kravchenko, V.V.Davydenko (Donetsk, Slavyansk, Ukraine)
The Hillfort of Sidorovo
The investigation of a big archaeological complex consisting of a hillfort, a big settlement (the total area of 100 hectare) and burials, situated not far from the village of Sidorovo (Slavyansk district of Donetsk region) were resumed in 2000. Before this only occasional excavations were carried out by the Kharkov State University expedition in 1972.
In 1994, 1996-1997 the Donetsk Museum of local lore expedition investigated a Moslem semetry (No 1) not far from the settlement. The cemetery was believed to date back to the second half of the IXth - the Xth c.c.
Such early dating of the Moslem burial caused strong objections and a research of the settlement has been resumed.
In 2000 the excavations were carried out at a greater territory (more than 1000 sq. m). 4 dwellings, 2 pottery furnaces, 27 household pits and 12 burials were cleared out. The burials belonged to a Moslem cemetery (No 2) adjacent to the dwellings. Stratigraphy of the cemetery suggests simultaneous existence of the complex constituents: the dwellings, household pits and burials. The stock material gives evidence that the cleared out objects date back to the second half of the IXth-the Xth cc.
In general, the materials obtained and the data that have been published earlier give evidence that the Sidorovo hillfort emerged in the second half of the VIIIth c. and survived up to the end of the Xth c.The life of the hillfort was closely connected with a busy trade route passing near it. The hillfort prospered in the second half of the IXth - the Xth c.c. At those times a big Moslem community lived there, it is considered to be one of the earliest Moslem communities in Eastern Europe.
K.I. Krasilnikov (Lugansk, Ukraine)
New Data on Ethnic Situation in the Seversky Donets River Steppe in the VIIIth - early Xth cc.
The population of the Seversky Donets river steppe in the Khazarian period till recently has been attributed to the pra-Bulgarians. However, the data obtained from the latest studies of the archaeological sites of the Seversky Donets basin allow re-evaluate the ethnic situation of the steppe Saltov culture.
The dwelling constructions that were found there (50 units) give good evidence of ethnic heterogeneity of the area population. Three construction types of dwellings have been found: round overland dwellings - 7 units (14 per cent), square partly dugout dwellings - 22 units (22 per cent), and rectangular partly dugouts - 14 units (28 per cent). Each construction type had its own ethnic sources and traditions. There are also 7 constructions (14 per cent) of mixed type.
Traditional heating devices have even more vivid ethnic character. 156 heating devices have been cleared out in the constructions under investigation. Among them 102 units (64 per cent) belong to traditional pra-Bulgarian open hearths. 21 units (13.4 per cent) are baker' ovens (tandyrs), and 35 units (22.6 per cent) are stoves of Slavonic type. Kitchen and table pottery are abundant on the site. The most characteristic feature of the pra-Bulgarian pottery is a round-shaped trunk. But the pottery samples found in the area show convincing evidence of the Alans', the Slaves', and other ethnic groups influence.
The data obtained from the burials also give evidence of ethnic heterogeneity of the Donets river basin population. On the pra-Bulgarian cemetries among typical pit interments there were found catacomb graves, pits with niches, burials in frame coffins and timber blocks, having the traits of nomadic and Moslem funeral rites.
These facts suggest that ethnic situation in the Donets river steppe in the VIIIth - the Xth cc.could be characterised as having mixed population of 4-5 ethnic groups descending from the forest -steppe of Eastern Europe, and Asian, Middle Asian and Caucasian territories.
L.I.Krasilnikova (Lugansk, Ukraine)
Constructive Traits and Typology of Dwellings of the Seversky Donets River Steppe in the VIIIth - early Xth cc.
The archaeological sites of the Seversky Donets basin belong to the steppe variant of the Saltov - Mayatsky cultere. The investigation of constructions, and dwellings in particular, is an important part of archaeological research carried out here. 90 construction units have been cleared out on the sites, 50 of them being dwellings. According to their design the dwelling were divided into three groups (Fig. 1, 1-3): complex consructions making up a separate group. Typologically the dwellings were subdivided according to 7 main parametres constituted by 34 traits (Table 1).
All types of dwellings were attributed as belonging to Protobulgarians who had lived in compact communities in the Donets river steppes. The dwelling design transformation from round yurta-like constructions into square -type 2, and rectangular - type 3, semi-dugouts was caused by two main factors: 1)a general trend of the economic development towards settled life with farming, cattle-raising and handicraft manufacturing; 2) hard climate and natural conditions of the steppe zone that made people's life extremely difficult. The influence of the neighbouring ethnic groups (the Slavs, the Alans and others) should not be underestimated either.
We have determined in general the following data concernig the dwellings of the VIIIth - early Xth cc.: the chronological limits of the dwelling design evolution, the sequence of the evolution stages, the main constructive elements of the dwellings, the sets of household appliances within them, their layouts, and the causes of their destruction.
M.L. Shvetsov, S.N. Sanzharov, A.V. Pryn (Donetsk, Lugansk, Lugansk, Ukraine)
Two New Rural Cemetries in the Seversky Donets Basin
The paper bears on new materials of the rural cemetries on the left bank of the Seversky Donets river. The data obtained from the burials have enabled us to determine their chronology (the third quarter of the VIIIth century - the end of the Xth century) and to analyse their funeral rite features. Having correlated our data with those published earlier we could localize the cemetries related to the neighbouring settlements, to specify their topography as to the land releif, climate conditions and economic activity of the population. The authors suggest that the burials layout (planigraphy) on each cemetery, their distinct parcelling into two sections (Chernikovo - Serebryanskoye, Dronovka - Platonovka, Novolymaryevka I and II) reflects not so much chronological or confessional differences, as kindred and social ones.The burials having some specific elements of the funeral rite (the prone position of the deceased), this adds to the knowledge of the character of the rural burial grounds in the Seversky Donets basin of Zlyvky type.
A.V. Kryganov (Sumy, Ukraine)
Upper Saltov and Netailovka Archaeological Sites of the Saltov Culture: Remains of an Ancient Khazarian City
The Upper Saltov and Netailovka complexes are the largest archaeological sites of the Saltov culture. They are considered to be the remains of a handicraft and trading and important administrative centre in the north-west remote districts of Khazaria. Judging by archaeological reconnaissance, numerous pit and catacomb necropoles, still unknown, could be found around it. Though archaeological excavations have been carried out in the area for a long time, its complex investigation has not been undertaken as yet. The paper points out the most perspective directions for archaeological reconnaissance and excavations.
We suppose that in the vicinity of the Pechenezhskoye storage reservoir most valuable archaeological sites could be found. Their investigation may bring new interesting data and discoveries. The hypothesis that three well-known names - Savgar, Sarada and Saltov - refer to one big Khazarian city could be verified by further research by both historians and philologists.
V.P.Petrov (Kiev, Ukraine)
The Khazars in the Crimea. Khazarian and Russian script of the VIth-IXth cc.
The scientific heritage of V.P. Petrov (1894-1969) still remains unknown. Here we present a first print of a manuscript which is part of a larger work that has remained unfinished, and is dedicated to the problem of the origin of the ancient Slavonic written language. The first part of the manuscript bears on putting in good order the written sources about the mission of Byzantine ambassador Konstantine- Cyril to the Khagane of Khazaria. In the second part of the manuscript (theses) the author raises a question about synchronous links of graphic systems in the VIth- the IXth cc. On the basis of written and archaeological sources he comes to the conclusion that the system of the Old Russian script even older than the Glagolitic or Cyrillic alphabets persisted in Kiev Russ in the IXth- the Xth cc. By its typological features it was close to the Khazarian graphic script.
S.I. Tatarinov, S.V. Fedyaev (Chasov Yahr, Ukraine)
New Early Bulgarian Interments of Dronovka -3 Cemetery (Limanskoye Ozero) of the Seversky Donets Basin
The excavations of the early Bulgarian cemetries of the Saltov - Mayatsky culture Volkovoye and Limanskoye Ozero in the basin of the Seversky Donets in 1974 - 1986 discovered 5 burials with horse skulls and horse bridle and stirrups.
In 1986 -1988 the burials with horse skulls and complete sets of horse harnesses were found on the Limanskoye Ozero site. All the interments are grouped on a small area and are isolated from those found in 1974 -1978. They could be regarded as a family cemetry and have distinct social stratification: there are burials of adults and children contaning no grave goods, children's burials with grave goods, and rich interments. None of them were broken or mixed with other burials, which is the evidence that 1) all of them appeared within a relatively short period of time, and 2) they must have had some outer features.
The data of 1987-88 excavations suggested that on the cemetry there had been interments with complete skeletons and those with incomplete or intentionally broken skeletons. Incomplete skeletons belonged to both poor (int. 34) and rich (int. 37) adults. We consider this phenomenon to be of cult nature. (See also V.A.Kuznetsov, 1962; S.A.Tokarev, 1976; N.A. Mazhitov, 1977).
The 1987-1988 excavations revealed four types of interments: those of classic Zlyvky type, with incomplete skeletons in rectangular pits, in pits with niches, and in round pits.
On the Limanskoye Ozero cemetry three interments belonging assumably to horsemen nobility have been found earlier: int.7 with a horse skull, int.11 with a stirrup, int. 15 with horse bits in the pit filling up (S.A. Pletneva, 1981). Two interment (int.7 and int. 3) with bits were found in Volokovoye. Int. 37 with a complete set of bridle is unique for the Bulgarian variant of the Saltov -Mayatsky culture (Zlyvky type). The interment is a good evidence of the role played by horsemen nobility in the Protobulgarian society of the Seversky Donets region. In Bulgarian interment 40 a horse skull and legs with a harness have been found for the first time either.
Limanskoye Ozero cemetry contains almost as many burials as the famous Zlyvky burial ground and and it may become no less important source of knowledge. Interments 24, 30-31, 37 evidently belonged to noble people and their grave stock is much richer than that of the Zlyvky cemetry.
A.V.Yevglevsky, Yu.V.Kudlay (Donetsk, Dimitrov, Ukraine)
The Cult Complex of the Khazarian Time on the Sukhoy Torets River: An Assay of Interdisciplinary Investigation
The system approach to an interdisciplinary investigation that integrates archaeology, astronomy and geodesy enabled us to come to the following conclusions:
1. The structure of the object under investigation could be represented as consisting of two levels.
The first "inner" level constitutes the archaeological site as an original, complex and at the same time rather strictly organized system of characteristics and interrelations.
The second "outer" level constitutes the site as a distinctive polysemantic attribute of the culture - a sacral centre of the universe. Polysemantic character of the cult complex shows itself in the following: 1) it served sort of an object-calendar having certain seasonal meanings; 2) the people who had created the complex considered it to be the model of universe: 3) it was an integral part of their funeral customs and rites. The latter characteristics are corroborated by the fact that the barrow was "inserted" in the chain of 10 earlier funeral mounds of other cultures. It suggest that the attempts of the people, who created the barrow under investigation, to secure the territory "ideologically" are evidence of recognizing all the barows to be though ancient but integral part of their own culture going back to their legendary ancestors.
2. Inspite of vivid and multiaspect sacral character and significant semiotic status of the complex, it hardly could be considered a sanctuary in the precise meaning of the term. We did not found any specific sanctuary features giving evidence that it was attende by the local population regularly.
3. Structural interrelationship of the elements of the site gives evidence that it was erected to mark a certain very important event in the life of the society and was not used further, although it was obviously not excluded from its cultural and sacral context. In other words, the complex was constructed for a single but multiaspect purpose. Thus, for the society the core and determining idea of the monument could have been the restoration of some violated but most essential element of their world outlook through addressing to the universe. The cause of that violation might have been a concrete natural or social hazard, e.g. the death of a noble member of the society in a foreign land.
Ye.V.Krouglov (Volgograd, Russia)
Funeral Rite Features of the Oguz from the North Caspian Lowlands of the mid-IXth - mid-XIth cc.
The author describes two groups of sex and age interments, which could be united into one larger rite group on the basis of their common characteristic feature: horse remains, horse scull and extremities, being stacked in the grave filling ups, onto overhead covers, coffin covers, logs, footsteps, and just over human bones, i.e. over the remains of the deceased. Part of the female and infants' burials contain amulets of ethnographic nature - kopoushky (sort of drop-shaped amulets), bird-shaped tabs and pendants.
To the well-known peculiarities of the Oguz funeral rite the author adds his personal observations:
1. Part of burial places have been found out in burial mounds, dunes, Baer's hillocks, which have an oval or slightly stretched out form.
2. There is clear evidence of the beginning of tribal cemetries formation.
3. More than half of burials turned out to be destroyed already in the ancient times. We can observe skeletons with their legs tied, some bones may be lacking or partially intermingled. The author suggests that these facts can be explained if we recognize the existence of the rite of rendering the deceased harmless among the Oguz.
4. The custom to apply the horse skin with the dead could be considered the core of the Oguz funeral rite. Two variants of this rite could be observed: a joint burial with a horse skin stretched out, i.e. with the stuffed animal, and a joint burial with the animal skin, or else with its imitation, folded up at the legs of the dead.
The author gives evidence that in the period described the Oguzes were at the second stage of nomad life, and raises the question of their readiness to pass to the third stage. He also determines the borders of the territory where the Oguz monuments have been fixed. He comes to the conclusion that it was not the Petchenegs people, but the Oguz who dominated in the region.
The supplement and the tables presented provide the data which charactrise the main features of the funeral rites of the nomads in the steppe area of the North Caspian Lowlands from the mid-IXth till the mid-Xith centuries.
