Abstract
The paper deals with a group of eleven bronze and billon mirrors found in the Dagestan early medieval burial grounds (Arkas, Galla, Khlyut, Aghachkala, Kurkli, Akhalchi, Khunzakh, Duranghi, Dusrakh, Botlikh, Khuty). Other grave goods allow dating listed burials and mirrors to the 6th to 10th centuries AD. Unlike widespread mirrors with geometrical solar symbols, these mirrors bear the stylized images of reptiles (lizard and snake) and insect (scolopendra) on their back side. An image of snake is represented on a mirror found in Botlikh. Three only bronze mirrors with similar image were found outside Dagestan in the early medieval burial grounds of Verkhne-Saltovsky IV necropolis (Kharkov Region, Ukraine) and Dargavs and Zmeysky (both in Northern Ossetia) catacomb burial grounds. Concentration and topography of fi nds the mirrors in Dagestan and their rare fi nds outside this territory allow considering the early medieval Serir state was the main area of their production. On the other hand, the fi nds of similar mirrors in the territory of historic Alania, in the Alani catacombs, should be probably considered in a context of Alani-Serir political and cultural contacts. It is generally known that the mirrors were sacral items closely connected with the funeral ideology. The chthonic images (reptiles and insects) represented on this group of mirrors emphasize their connection with ideas of the other, underground, lower world. The emergence of such images on the mirrors has been caused by close ties of Dagestan with the Sasanian Iran in the religious and ideological spheres, as well as by the infl uence of the Zoroastrian religion in which these chthonic images appear as hrafstra, i.e. harmful creatures connected with the world of darkness, the generation of “full of the death” Ahriman.
Keywords
Archaeology, Early Middle Ages, Dagestan, burial grounds, bronze mirrors, zoomorphic images, chthonic creatures.
Abakarov, A.I., Davudov, O.M. 1993: Arkheologicheskaya karta Dagestana [Archaeological map of Dagestan]. Moscow.
Abakarov, A.I., Magomedov, R.G. 1991: Novye arkheologicheskie nakhodki iz gornogo i ploskostnogo Dagestana [New archaeological fi nds from mountain and plane Dagestan]. In: O.M. Davudov (ed.), Gory i ravniny Severo-Vostochnogo Kavkaza v drevnosti i srednie veka [Mountains and plains of the Northeast Caucasus in Ancient Time and Middle Ages]. Makhachkala, 190–202.
Aksyenov, V.S. 2015: Bogatoe katakombnoe zakhoronenie Verkhne-Saltovskogo IV mogil’nika [Rich catacomb burial of the Verkhne-Saltovsky IV burial ground]. Drevnosti 2014–2015. Khar’kovskiy istoriko-arkheologicheskiy ezhegodnik [Antiquities of 2014–2015. Kharkov historical and archaeological yearbook] 13, 288–305.
Aksyenov, V.S. 2016: Katakomba № 119 Verkhne-Saltovskogo IV mogil’nika pod Khar’kovom [Catacomb No. 119 of the Verkhne-Saltovsky IV burial ground near Kharkov]. Rossiyskaya arkheologiya [Russian Archaeology] 4, 106–123.
Ataev, D.M. 1961: Nekotorye srednevekovye mogil’niki Avarii [Some medieval burial grounds of Avaria]. In: G.D. Daniyalov (ed), Materialy po arkheologii Dagestana [Materials on Archaeology of Dagestan]. II. Makhachkala, 223–247.
Ataev, D.M. 1963: Nagornyy Dagestan v rannem srednevekov’e (po materialam arkheologicheskikh raskopok Avarii) [Mountain Dagestan in the Early Middle Ages (on materials of archaeological excavations in Avaria)]. Makhachkala.
Ataev, D.M. 1973: Arkheologicheskie issledovaniya v Gornom Dagestane osen’yu 1962 g. [Archaeological researches in Mountain Dagestan by Autumn of 1962] In: G.D. Daniyalov (ed.), [Materialy po arkheologii Dagestana [Materials on archaeology of Dagestan]. III. Makhachkala, 51–59.
Bakushev, M.A. 2008: Pogrebal’nyy obryad naseleniya Dagestana albano-sarmatskogo vremeni (III v. do n.e. – IV v. n.e.) [Death custom of the population of Dagestan of Albano- Sarmatian time (the 3rd century BC – 4th century AD).]. Rostov-on-Don.
Chursin, G.F. 1995: Avary: Etnografi cheskiy ocherk. 1928 g. [The Avars: An Ethnographic essay. 1928]. Makhachkala.
Gadzhiev, G.A. 1991: Doislamskie verovaniya i obryady narodov Nagornogo Dagestana [Pre- Islamic beliefs and ceremonies of the peoples of Mountain Dagestan]. Makhachkala.
Gadzhiev, G.A. 1980: Perezhitki drevnikh predstavleniy v pokhoronno-pogrebal’nykh obryadakh lezgin [The Remnants of ancient representations in funeral and burial ceremonies of Lezgians]. In: Z.O. Osmanov (ed.), Semeynyy byt narodov Dagestana [Family life of the peoples of Dagestan]. Makhachkala, 29–46.
Gadzhiev, M.S. 1986: Pogrebal’nye pamyatniki Dagestana pozdnealbanskogo I rannesrednevekovogo periodov (I–VII vv.) [Burial monuments of Dagestan of the Late Albanian and Early Medieval periods (the 1st – 7th centuries AD)]. In: M.A. Aglarov (ed.), Obryady i kul’ty drevnego i srednevekovogo naseleniya Dagestana [Ceremonies and cults of the ancient and medieval population of Dagestan]. Makhachkala, 71–89.
Gadzhiev, M.S., Davudov, Sh.O. 2010: Reznoy derevyannyy stolik pervykh vekov n.e. iz okrestnostey Karabudakhkenta (Dagestan) [Carved wooden little table of the fi rst centuries AD from a neighborhood of Karabudakhkent (Dagestan)]. In: O.M. Davudov (ed.), Issledovaniya pervobytnoy arkheologii Evrazii. Sbornik statey k 60-letiyu chl.-korr. RAN Kh.A. Amirhanova [Researches of Primitive archaeology of Eurasia. The collection of articles dedicated to the 60 anniversary of the corresponding member of RAS Kh.A. Amirkhanov]. Makhachkala, 352–364.
Gadzhiev, M.S., Davudov, Sh.O. 2012: K interpretatsii obraza krylatogo konya na zoomorfnykh blyashkakh iz Dagestana [Interpretation of an image of a winged horse on the zoomorphic plaques from Dagestan]. Vestnik Dagestanskogo nauchnogo tsentra [Bulletin of the Dagestan Scientifi c Center] 44, 32–37.
Gadzhiev, M.S., Davudov, Sh.O. 2015: Bronzovaya statuetka byka iz pogrebeniya bliz sel. Dusrakh [Bronze fi gurine of a bull from burial near the Dusrakh village] Vestnik Dagestanskogo nauchnogo tsentra [Bulletin of the Dagestan Scientifi c Center] 57, 36–43.
Gmyrya, L.B. 1984: Iz istorii remeslennogo proizvodstva v rannesrednevekovom Dagestanе (Po materialam Agachkalinskogo poseleniya) [From the history of handicraft in Early Medieval Dagestan (On materials from the Aghachkala Settlement)]. In: Drevnie promysly, remeslo i torgovlya v Dagestane [Ancient crafts and trade in Dagestan]. Makhachkala, 73–90.
Davudov, O.M. 2012: Kurklinskiy mogil’nik rannego srednevekov’ya [Kurkli burial ground of the Early Middle Ages]. Vestnik Instituta istorii, arkheologii i etnografi i [Bulletin of Institute of history, archaeology and ethnography] 3, 48–73.
Dzattiaty, R.G. 2014: Alanskie drevnosti Dargavsa [Alania antiquities of Dargavs]. Vladikavkaz.
Dzattiaty, R.G. 2016: Predmety importa iz katakomb Dargavsa [Import items from Dargavs catacombs]. Izvestiya Severo-Osetinskogo institute gumanitarnykh i sotsial’nykh issledovaniy [Proceedings of the North Ossetian Institute for Humanitarian and Social Researches] 19 (58), 5–16.
Khalidova, M.R. 1992: Mifologicheskiy i istoricheskiy epos narodov Dagestana [Mythological and historical epos of the peoples of Dagestan]. Makhachkala.
Khamitsaev, T.A., Byazyrov, A.Kh. (eds.) 1989: Narty: Osetinskiy geroicheskiy epos [The Narts: Ossetian heroic epos]. Vol. 2. Moscow.
Kosyanenko, V.M. 1994: K voprosu o khronologii i ritual’no-magicheskoy roli bronzovykh zerkal iz nekropolya Kobyakova gorodishcha (po materialam raskopok 1956–1962 gg.) [On a issue of chronology and a ritual and magic role of bronze mirrors from necropolis of the ancient Kobyakov settlement (on materials of the 1956–1962 excavations)]. In: V.Ya. Kiyashko (ed.), Istoriko-arkheologicheskie issledovaniya v Azove i na Nizhnem Donu v 1993 g. [Historical and archaeological researches in Azov and on Lower Don in 1993] 13. Azov, 70–83.
Kotovich, V.G. 1961: Arkheologicheskie raboty v Gornom Dagestane [Archaeological works in Mountain Dagestan]. In: G.D. Daniyalov (ed.), Materialy po arkheologii Dagestana [Materials on the Archaeology of Dagestan]. II. Makhachkala, 5–57.
Mammaev, M.M. 1989: Dekorativno-prikladnoe iskusstvo Dagestana: Istoki i stanovlenie [Arts and crafts of Dagestan: Origin and development]. Makhachkala.
Mammaev, M.M. 1969: K kharakteristike metalloobrabatyvayushchego remesla Urtsekskogo gorodishcha albano-sarmatskogo i rannesrednevekovogo vremeni [On the characteristic of metalworking craft of the Urtseki settlement of Albano-Sarmatian and Early Medieval time]. Uchyenye zapiski Instituta istorii, yazyka i literatury [Scientifi c Notes of the Institute of History, Language and Literature] 19, 189–224.
Markovin, V.I., Tverdokhlebov A.M. 1955: Akushinskiy mogil’nik [The Akushinskiy Necropolis]. Kratkie soobshcheniya Instituta material’noy kul’tury [Brief Communications of the Institute for the History of the Material Culture] 60, 150–154.
Minorskiy, V.F. 1963: Istoriya Shirvana i Derbenda X–XI vekov [History of Shirvan and Derbend of the 10th – 11th centuries]. Moscow.
Moazami, M. 2005: Evil Animals in the Zoroastrian Religion. History of Religions 44.4, 300– 317.
Munchaev, R.M. 1958: Arkheologicheskie issledovaniya v nagornom Dagestane v 1954 g. [Archaeological researches in mountain Dagestan in 1954]. Kratkie soobshcheniya Instituta material’noy kul’tury [Brief Communications of the Institute for the History of the Material Culture] 71, 41–52.
Pikul, M.I. 1967: Epokha rannego zheleza v Dagestane [Dagestan in the Early Iron Age]. Makhachkala.
Pikul, M.I. 1991: Mogil’nik u sel. Durangi [The burial ground near the Durangi Village]. In: O.M. Davudov (ed.), Gory i ravniny Severo-Vostochnogo Kavkaza v drevnosti i srednie veka [Mountains and plains of the Northeast Caucasus in Ancient Time and Middle Ages]. Makhachkala, 165–181.
Seferbekov, R.I. 2000: Traditsionnye religioznye predstavleniya tabasarantsev (bogi I demony; verovaniya svyazannye s zhivotnymi) [Traditional religious representations of the Tabasarans (gods and demons; the beliefs connected with animals)]. Makhachkala.
Smirnov, K.F. 1951: Arkheologicheskie issledovaniya v rayone dagestanskogo seleniya Tarki v 1948–1949 gg. [Archaeological researches near the Dagestan village of Tarki in 1948– 1949]. In: Materialy i issledovaniya po arkheologii Severnogo Kavkaza [Materials and Researches on Archaeology of the Northern Caucasus]. (Materialy i issledovaniya po arkheologii SSSR [Materials and Researches on Archaeology of the USSR]) 23, 226–301.
Smirnov, K.F. 1952: Arkheologicheskie issledovaniya v Dagestane v 1948–1950 godakh [Archaeological researches in Dagestan in 1948–1950]. Kratkie soobshcheniya Instituta material’noy kul’tury [Brief Communications of the Institute for the History of the Material Culture] XLV, 83–96.
Tolstaya, S.M. 1994: Zerkalo v traditsionnykh slavyanskikh verovaniyakh i obryadakh [A mirror in traditional Slavic beliefs and ceremonies]. In: N.I. Tolstoy (ed.), Slavyanskiy i balkanskiy fol’klor: Verovaniya. Tekst. Ritual [Slavic and Balkan folklore: Beliefs. Text. Ritual]. Moscow, 111–129.