Open AccessTHE ELITE GRAVE OF THE WARRIOR OF THE PRE-SCYTHIAN AGE NEAR MAIKOP
Author(s) -
Vladimir R. Erlikh
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
arheologìâ ì davnâ ìstorìâ ukraïni
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2708-6143
pISSN - 2227-4952
DOI - 10.37445/adiu.2019.02.31
Subject(s) - chariot , elite , sword , archaeology , bronze , ancient history , bronze age , chronology , geography , settlement (finance) , history , art , politics , engineering , political science , law , mechanical engineering , world wide web , computer science , payment
The Ulka I cemetery was discovered on the site of the ancient Ulka settlement during rescue excavations conducted by A. V. Surkov in 2017. It is located 5.4 km northeast of Maykop (Adygea, RF). A total of four Proto-Maeotian burials were uncovered in these burial grounds. This article focuses on the wealthiest burial 3, which contained the remains of a warrior flanked by two horse skulls to the south — apparently in imitation of a cart or chariot. The burial inventory consisted of a long bimetallic sword with a length of 108 cm, a spearhead, a quiver with nine bronze arrows, gold and silver pendants of the «Šarengrad» type, gold-plated bronze buttons and various other items. Ananalysis of the funeral inventory shows that the main items belong to the Chernogorovka or Pre-Novocherkassk category of Proto-Maeotian material. However, the burial also contains later chronological indicators, e. g. arrowheads of the «Novocherkassk type» and aclasp of the «Slobodzeya» type. In general, it is possible to suggest a dating within the second half of the 8th century BC for the complex. The burial inventory indicates that the deceased belonged to the highest military elite of Proto-Maeotian society. He probably took part in military campaigns in the Trans-Caucasus, owned multiple herds of horses, and oversawtransactions and exchange with the elite of Central Europe.