The Pazyryk Style
https://doi.org/10.17746/1563-0110.2021.49.4.043-056
Abstract
This study demonstrates that certain similarities in the domestic artifacts, clothing, and weapons in the Pazyryk burials of the Altai, those in the oases of Xinjiang (Subashi, Yanghai, Jumbulak Kum, Wupu, Keriya, etc.), and those in the piedmont of the southern Altai Mountains, do not evidence a single culture. Such parallels in basic items are caused only by spatial proximity and contacts. Personal ornaments, decoration of utensils, weapons, and horse harness, and signs such as tattoos are more reliable cultural indicators. Every member of the Pazyryk society, regardless of age, was marked by a set of outward signs, distinguishing him or her from the neighbors. This set included tattoos, and also ornaments worn on the clothing, headgear and belt, and decorating the horse. The elaborate Pazyryk traditions of woodcarving enabled everyone to have equally meaningful ornaments, which, like the artistic tattoos, made him or her recognizable. The term “Pazyryk style” is proposed. Being the most exact cultural indicator, it extends to all elements of culture, uniting the Pazyryk people despite the fact that their lifestyle, subsistence, etc., were identical to those of their neighbors.
Keywords
Supporting agencies: This study was performed under the IAET SO RAN R&D Project No. 0264-2021-0004.
About the Author
N. V. Polosmak
Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography, Siberian Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
Pr. Akademika Lavrentieva 17, Novosibirsk, 630090
References
1. Azbelev P.P. 2017 Pazyrykskiye tatuirovki kak khudozhestvennoye svidetelstvo drevnikh voin i brakosochetaniy. Iskusstvo i khudozhestvennaya kultura Drevnego mira, No. 7: 51–60.
2. Barkova L.L., Gokhman I.I. 2001 Eshche raz o mumiyakh cheloveka iz Pazyrykskikh kurganov. ASGE, iss. 35: 78–90.
3. Barkova L.L., Pankova S.V. 2005 Tattooed mummies from the large Pazyryk mounds: New fi ndings. Archaeology, Ethnology and Anthropology of Eurasia, No. 2: 48–59.
4. Bunker E.C. 2001 The cemetery at Shanpula, Xinjiang, simple burials, complex textiles. In Fabulous Creatures from the Desert Sands. Central Asian Woolen Textiles from the Second BC to the Second Century AD. Riggisberg: Abegg-stiftung, pp. 15–47. (Riggisberger Berichte; No. 10). Cheremisin D.V. 2008 Iskusstvo zverinogo stilya v pogrebalnykh kompleksakh ryadovogo naseleniya pazyrykskoi kultury. Novosibirsk: Izd. IAET SO RAN.
5. Chikisheva T.A. 1996 K voprosu o formirovanii antropologicheskogo sostava naseleniya pazyrykskoi kultury Gornogo Altaya. In Noveishiye arkheologicheskiye i antropologicheskiye otkrytiya v Sibiri. Novosibirsk: Izd. IAET SO RAN, pp. 249–252.
6. Chikisheva T.A. 1997 K voprosu ob antropologicheskom skhodstve naseleniya pazyrykskoi kultury i sakskoi etnokulturnoi obshchnosti. In Problemy arkheologii, etnografii, antropologii Sibiri i sopredelnykh territoriy, vol. III. Novosibirsk: Izd. IAET SO RAN, pp. 314–320.
7. Chikisheva T.A. 2003 Naseleniye Gornogo Altaya v epokhu rannego zheleznogo veka po dannym antropologii. In Naseleniye Gornogo Altaya v epokhu rannego zheleznogo veka kak etnokulturnyi fenomen: Proiskhozhdeniye, genezis, istoricheskiye sudby po dannym arkheologii, antropologii i genetiki, iss. 1. Novosibirsk: Izd. SO RAN, pp. 63–120.
8. Chugunov K.V., Parzinger G., Nagler A. 2017 Tsarskiy kurgan skifskogo vremeni Arzhan-2 v Tuve. Novosibirsk: Izd. IAET SO RAN.
9. Debaine-Francfort C., Francfort H.-P. 2001 Pot en céramique à décor de coutures. In Keriya: Mémoires d’un fl euve. Archéologie et civilisation des oasis du Taklamakan. Paris: Findakly, p. 209.
10. Desrosiers S. 2001a L’évolution des techniques textiles. In Keriya. Mémoires d’un fl euve. Archéologie et civilisation des oasis du Taklamakan. Paris: Findakly, pp. 153–155.
11. Desrosiers S. 2001b Jupe faite de bandes tissées rouges et marron cousues les unes aux autres. In Keriya. Mémoires d’un fl euve. Archéologie et civilisation des oasis du Taklamakan. Paris: Findakly, pp. 193–194.
12. Desrosiers S. 2001c Haut de pantalon avec ceinture et fragment de chemise. In Keriya. Mémoires d’un fl euve. Archéologie et civilisation des oasis du Taklamakan. Paris: Findakly, p. 195.
13. Desrosiers S. 2001d Épaule et côté droits de tunique en toile de laine décorée de tresses rouges. In Keriya. Mémoires d’un fl euve. Archéologie et civilisation des oasis du Taklamakan. Paris: Findakly, pp. 196–197.
14. Desrosiers S., Francfort H.-P. 2001 Feutre beige décoré d’appliques de feutre rouge et bleu aux bords rebrodés. In Keriya. Mémoires d’un fl euve. Archéologie et civilisation des oasis du Taklamakan. Paris: Findakly, p. 164.
15. Francfort H.-P., Lacoudre N. 2001 Ornements de coiffure. In Keriya. Mémoires d’un fl euve. Archéologie et civilisation des oasis du Taklamakan. Paris: Findakly, pp. 205–206.
16. Hami ancient civilization. 1997 Administrative Offi ce of Cultural Relics of Hami Prefecture and Hami Museum (ed.). Hami: Xinjiang Fine Arts and Photographing Press.
17. Kubarev V.D. 1987 Kurgany Ulandryka. Novosibirsk: Nauka.
18. Kubarev V.D. 1991 Kurgany Yustyda. Novosibirsk: Nauka.
19. Kubarev V.D. 1992 Kurgany Sailyugema. Novosibirsk: Nauka.
20. Levi-Strauss C. 1984 Pechalnye tropiki. Moscow: Mysl.
21. Litvinsky B.A., Pichikyan I.R. 1993 Akhemenidskaya rukoyat s protomoi grifona iz khrama Oksa. Vestnik drevney istorii, No. 4: 67–89.
22. Lobacheva N.P. 1989 O nekotorykh chertakh regionalnoi obshchnosti i traditsionnom kostyume narodov Srednei Azii i Kazakhstana. In Traditsionnaya odezhda narodov Srednei Azii i Kazakhstana. Moscow: Nauka, pp. 5–39.
23. Lobacheva N.P. 2001 Osobennosti kostyuma narodov Sredneaziatsko- Kazakhstanskogo regiona. In Sredneaziatskiy etnografi cheskiy sbornik, iss. IV. Moscow: Nauka, pp. 69–97.
24. Marsadolov L.S. 2021 “Zodiakalnaya” tatuirovka vozhdya-zhretsa iz Pazyryka-2. In Arkheologiya Severnoi i Tsentralnoi Azii: Novye otkrytiya i rezultaty mezhdistsiplinarnykh issledovaniy. Barnaul: Izd. Alt. Gos. Univ., pp. 265–273.
25. Molodin V.I., Parzinger G., Tseveendorj D. 2012 “Zamerzshiye” pogrebalnye kompleksy pazyrykskoi kultury na yuzhnykh sklonakh Sailyugema (Mongolskiy Altai). Moscow: Triumf print.
26. Mu J. 2020 Pamyatniki pazyrykskoi kultury v Sintszyane. Teoriya i praktika arkheologicheskikh issledovaniy. Istoriya i arkheologiya, vol. 30 (2): 138–147.
27. Pilipenko A.S., Molodin V.I., Romashchenko A.G. 2012 Paleogeneticheskiy analiz ostankov nositelei pazyrykskoi kultury iz pamyatnikov Olon-Kurin-Gol-6 i Olon-Kurin-Gol-10 v Zapadnoi Mongolii. In “Zamerzshiye” pogrebalnye kompleksy pazyrykskoi kultury na yuzhnykh sklonakh Sailyugema (Mongolskiy Altai). Moscow: Triumf print, pp. 345–363.
28. Pilipenko A.S., Trapezov R.O., Polosmak N.V. 2015 A genetic analysis of human remains from Ak-Alakha-3 burial mound 1, Gorny Altai. Archaeology, Ethnology and Anthropology of Eurasia, vol. 43 (2): 138–145.
29. Polosmak N.V. 1994 Steregushchiye zoloto grify. Novosibirsk: Nauka.
30. Polosmak N.V. 1996 Traditsiya pazyrykskogo balzamirovaniya (nekotorye aspekty problemy). In Noveishiye arkheologicheskiye i etnografi cheskiye otkrytiya v Sibiri. Novosibirsk: Izd. IAET SO RAN, pp. 210–212.
31. Polosmak N.V. 2000 Balzamirovaniye u pazyryktsev Ukoka. In Skify i sarmaty v VII–III vv. do n.e.: (Paleoekologiya, antropologiya, arkheologiya). Moscow: Izd. GIM, pp. 67–73.
32. Polosmak N.V. 2001 Vsadniki Ukoka. Novosibirsk: INFOLIO-press. Polosmak N.V., Balakina G.G., Vasiliev V.G., Vlasov A.A., Dovlitova L.S., Karpova E.V., Kraevskaya I.L., Korolyuk E.A., Kundo L.P., Malakhov V.V., Mamatyuk V.I., Tsareva E.G. 2006 Tekstil iz “zamerzshikh” mogil Gornogo Altaya IV–III vv. do n.e. (opyt mezhdisciplinarnogo issledovaniya). Novosibirsk: Izd. SO RAN (Integratsionnye proekty SO RAN; iss. 5).
33. Polosmak N.V., Barkova L.L. 2005 Kostyum i tekstil pazyryktsev Altaya (IV–III vv. do n.e.). Novosibirsk: INFOLIO.
34. Polosmak N.V., Kundo L.P., Malakhov V.V., Vlasov A.A., Kraevskaya I.L., Ovsyannikova I.A., Litvak G.S., Plyasova L.M., Solovyeva L.P., Shmakov A.N., Shcherbakov Y.G., Roslyakova N.V. 1997 Issledovaniye veshchestvennogo sostava nakhodok iz “zamerzshikh” mogil Gornogo Altaya (Ak-Alakha-3. Pazyrykskaya kultura). Rossiyskaya arkheologiya, No. 1: 181–192.
35. Radlov V.V. 1989 Iz Sibiri: Stranitsy dnevnika. Moscow: Gl. red. vost. lit. Izd. “Nauka”.
36. Rudenko S.I. 1953 Kultura naseleniya Gornogo Altaya v skifskoye vremya. Moscow, Leningrad: Izd. AN SSSR.
37. Rudenko S.I. 1960 Kultura naseleniya Tsentralnogo Altaya v skifskoye vremya. Moscow, Leningrad: Izd. AN SSSR.
38. Samashev Z. 2011 Berel. Almaty: Taimas. Samashev Z., Bazarbaeva G.A., Zhumabekova G.S., Francfort H.-P. 2000 Le kourgane de Berel’ dans l’Altaï kazakhstanais. Arts Asiatiques. January. No. 55 (1): 5–20.
39. Samashev Z.S., Francfort H.-P. 1999 Drevnosti kazakhstanskogo Altaya. Izvestiya Ministerstva obrazovaniya i nauki Respubliki Kazakhstan. Ser. obshchestv. nauk, No. 1 (219): 33–37.
40. Savinov D.G. 1978 O zavershayushchem etape kultury rannikh kochevnikov Gornogo Altaya. In Ranniye kochevniki. Moscow: Nauka, pp. 48–55. (KSIA; iss. 154).
41. Savinov D.G. 1986 Skifskiye kurgany Uzuntala. In Skifskaya epokha Altaya. Barnaul: Izd. Alt. Gos. Univ., pp. 10–13.
42. Savinov D.G. 1993 Pogrebeniya skifskogo vremeni v doline Uzuntal. In Materialy po istorii i etnografi i Gornogo Altaya. Gorno-Altaysk: GANIIIYAL, pp. 4–18.
43. Semenov Vl.A. 1997 Mongun-Taiga (arkheologicheskiye issledovaniya v Tuve v 1994–1995 gg.). St. Petersburg: Izd. IIMK RAN.
44. Shulga D.P., Shulga P.I. 2017 Proniknoveniye pazyrykskoi kultury v Sintszyan. Vestnik Novosibirskogo gosudarstvennogo universiteta. Ser.: Istoriya, fi lologiya, vol. 16 (4): 24–29.
45. The Ancient Culture in Xinjiang Along the Silk Road. 2008 Xinjiang: Xinjiang People’s Publishing House.
46. Turbat T., Batsukh D., Batbayar T., Bayarhuu N., Zhordana K., Zhiskar P.K. 2007 Baga-Turgeny-Gol VI pazyrykiyn ueyn tsogtsolboryn arkheologi, paleoantropologiyn sudalgaa. Arkheologiyn sudlal, vol. XXIV (IV): 188–215.
47. Veinstein S.I., Dyakonova V.P. 1966 Pamyatniki v mogilnike Kokel kontsa I tys. do n.e. – pervykh vekov n.e. In Trudy Turkestan. kompleksn. arkheol.- etnogr. ekspeditsii, vol. II. Moscow, Leningrad: Izd. AN SSSR, pp. 185–291.
48. Xinjiang Yanghai Mudi [Xinjiang Yanghai Cemetery]. 2019 In 3 vols. Beijing: Wenwu chubanshe. (In Chinese).
Review
For citations:
Polosmak N.V. The Pazyryk Style. Archaeology, Ethnology & Anthropology of Eurasia. 2021;49(4):43-56. https://doi.org/10.17746/1563-0110.2021.49.4.043-056
Views:
874
Email this article 