Abstract
The article studies the materials of the excavations of three barrow mounds of early nomads. The barrows are located in Abzelilovo District in the Transurals, the Republic of Bashkortostan. From the geographical point of view, the western part of the District is mountainous; the eastern part is a steppe zone. The mounds of early nomads are located in both parts and differ in the material of the embankment. In the mountainous part the embankments are made of stone, in the steppe zone they are earthen. The earliest of the published mounds is Chebarkul-1 Stone Mound, which is on the top of the mountain. Tupakovo-2 Stone Mound is located at the foot of the mountain ridge. Earthen mound #2 of the Mikhailovka –2 mounds is in the open steppe. The materials of Chebarkul-1 Mound date from the 5th century BC., which is proved by beads from “Phoenician” glass found in it. A iron celt and a vessel of the Gafury type in Chebarkul-1 Mound testify to the connections of its population with the northeastern wooded steppe region. Tupakovo-2 and Mikhailovka-2 Mounds date from the 4th century BC. The daggers found in them belong to the transitional type from the Sauromatian to the Early Sarmatian cultures, and the bronze arrowheads are of the late type. Another proof is the southern orienting of the buried people. A small bone spoon, which had probably been kept in the quiver together with arrows, is of special interest. The spoon was found in Tupakovo-2 Mound. At the end of the article, the author tells about two fi nds of the early nomads’ weapons kept in the Abzelilovo Museum. A dagger with a claw-like head dates from the end of the 6th – 5th century BC. An unusual type of weapon, which is a combination of a dagger and a spear, dates from the 3d – 1st century BC.
Keywords
South Transurals, Abzelilovo District, early nomads, barrows, burial rites, About the material culture
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