THE ITEMS OF ARMAMENT AND HORSE HARNESS OF EARLY SCYTHIAN CULTURE, FOUND NEAR THE ALEKSEEVSKY HAMLET OF THE STAVROPOL REGION

Abstract

The paper studies the items of armament and horse harness, discovered in 1940 near the Alekseevsky hamlet (Stavropol plateau) and published by T.M. Minaeva in 1956 (8 items). For the first time the entire archaeological complex (25 items) has been subjected to chronological and morphological analysis. The items include large rhombic arrowheads, bronze rings with a movable clutch, bronze horse bits with stape ends, bronze cheek-pieces with three cylinder-couplings in the rod, cylindrical strings of beads and metal platelets. Cross chronological analysis of materials from the Alekseevsky hamlet, from known complexes of the 8th - 7th cc. BC from North Caucasus, Ukraine and Asia Minor allowed the author to refer the studied items to the village of Zhabotin (1st half of the 7th century BC). In the process of examining the abovementioned items, some of the features that characterize their production technology have been identified. For example, arrowheads were cast in unilateral forms (arrowhead no. 6 demonstrates process scraps - double V-shaped tenon, absence of mirror conformity of halves, cast in unilateral forms). The edges of arrowheads' blades were forged at the top on both sides. The soldering technology was used in the creation of these items along with the casting technology. Comparative analysis of materials from the Alekseevsky hamlet and the like makes it possible to propose a preliminary relative chronology of Zhabotin village monuments. The earliest monuments (beginning -the first quarter of the 7th century BC) are represented with the complex from the Uashkhitu barrow, items from the burial located on the Chishkho hill, complex from the Endzha barrow; then the items from the Alekseevsky hamlet and inventory from barrow 524 near the Zhabotin village; then the complexes from barrow 1 and barrow 2 of the Khadzhokh burial mound; then the materials from barrow 9 of the burial mound near the hamlet of Krasnoe znamya (end of the second quarter - third quarter of the 7th century BC)