Peculiarities of Scythian Women’s Costumes at Sula River Lands

Liubov S.  Klochko

doi:10.15407/archaeologyua2017.03.037

Liubov S. Klochko National Museum of History of Ukraine

DOI: https://doi.org/10.15407/archaeologyua2017.03.037

Abstract

Scythia was inhabited by multi-ethnic tribes, as both written documents, and archaeological research evidence. Ethnographic peculiarities of the population in various regions are reflected in costumes, namely in women’s costumes. Adornments of various categories played a significant role. Aesthetic and symbolic stress was put on them, as permanent combinations of decorative elements show chronological, ethno-local, social, and age peculiarities of costumes. Dresses of Archaic period, based on findings from the 6^th century BC burials, contained neck decorations made of semiprecious stones or glassy substance, as well as bracelets, anklets, and pins made mostly of bronze. There are two variants of costume assemblages in the 5^th century BC: 1) earrings, necklaces, bracelets-bonds; 2) earrings, beads of glassy substance, pins, and anklets. The latter, or anklets, together with «turbinate» earrings, massive pins with reticulated ornament, ring-shaped pendants with pendants and «microstrobiles» on outer surface, as well as figure-of-eight buckles are peculiar exactly for the Sula River region.

The 4^th century BC adornments combinations include: 1) earrings, necklaces, and bracelets; 2) earrings, necklaces, and pins. The sets remind of the assemblages of the nomad Scythian aristocratic women. Namely, women were not wearing anklets any more, rings are found rarely in jewellery assemblages, and Hellenic adornments became of fashion.

Because the written materials are not available for the researchers and art pieces are few, the reconstruction of all components of the women’s costumes in the Dnipro River left bank forest-steppe region can be made with certain hypothetic tolerances. The main source for the dresses’ reconstruction are golden applications and other costume accessories. Comprehensive and comparative research methods of decorative elements and fragments of headdresses, clothes, and shoes allowed the author to present the versions of their reconstructions.

References

Artamonow M.I. Sokrovishcha skifskikh kurganov v sobranii Gosudarstvennogo Ermitazha. Leningrad-Praha: Avrora, 1964.
Bessonova S.S. Religiosnyie predstavleniia skifov. Kyiv: Naukova dumka, 1983.
Bessonova S.S. Kalachikovidnyie sergi i grekovarvarskie kontakty VII-IV vv. do n. e. Bosporskie issledovaniia. Simferopol-Kerch, 2007, XVI, pp. 3-30.
Bobrinskii A.A. Kurgany i sluchainyie arkheologicheskie nakhodki bliz mestechka Smely. Sankt-Peterburg, 1901, vol. III.
Bogatyrev P.G. Voprosy teorii narodnogo iskusstva. Moskva: Nauka, 1971.
Borovka G.N. Zhenskie golovnyie ubory Chertomlykskogo kurgana. Izvestiia Gosudarstvennoi akademii istorii materialnoi kultury, 1921, vol. II, pp. 99-203.
Chvyr L.A. Otrazhenie vozrastnykh gradatsyi v tadzhikskikh yuvelirnykh ukrasheniiakh. Sovetskaia etnografiia, 1970, no. 4, pp. 115-121.
Farmakovskii B.V. Tri polikhromnyie vazy v forme statuetok, naidennyie v Fanagorii. Zapiski Ros. akademii istorii materialnoi kultury, 1921, pp. 1-45.
Gagen-Torn N.I. Zhenskaia odezhda narodov Povolzhia. Saratov, 1960.
Guseva N.R. Khudozhestvennyie remesla Indii. Moskva: Nauka, 1982.
Hadaczek K. Der Ohrschmuk der Griechen und Etrusken. Wien, 1903.
Higgins R.A. Greek and Roman Jewellery. London, 1961.
Illinskaia V.A. Skify Dneprovskogo Lesostepnogo Levoberezhia. (Kurgany Posulia). Kiyv: Naukova dumka, 1968.
Illinskaia V.A., Terenozhkin A.I. Skifiia VII-IV vv. do n. e. Kyiv: Naukova dumka, 1983.
Klochko L.S. Skifskie nalobnyie ukrasheniia. Novyie pamiatniki drevnei i srednevekovoi khudozhestvennoi kultury. Kyiv: Naukova dumka, 1983, pp. 31-43.
Klochko L.S. Skifskaia obuv. Rossiiskaia arkheologiia, 1992, no. 3, pp. 26-33.
Klochko L.S. Plechovyi odiah skifianok. Arkheolohiia, 1992, no 3, pp. 95-107.
Klochko L.S. Pro odyn skifskyi zvychai. Muzeini chytannia. Tezy dopovidei nauk. konf. Muzeiu istorychnykh koshtovnostei Ukrainy. Kyiv, 1993, pp. 21-23.
Klochko L.S. Rekonstruktsiia kostiuma zhenshchiny iz bokovoi mogily Bolshogo Ryzhanovskogo kurgana. Materiały i Sprawozdania Rzeszowskiego Ośrodka Archeologicznego. Rzeszόw, 1998, vol. ХІХ, pp. 139-151.
Klochko L.S. Shpylky u vbranni naselennia Skifii. Muzeini chytannia. Materialy nauk. konf. «Yuvelirne mystetstvo - pohliad kriz viky», Kyiv, Muzei istorichnykh koshtovnostei Ukrainy. Kyiv, 2007, pp. 28-41.
Klochko L.S. Kostiumy plemen Skifii v konteksti zviazkiv iz naselenniam Evropy. Na pograniczu światow. Studia z pradziejόw międzymorza baltycko-pontyjskiego ofiarowane profesorowi Aleksanrowi Kosko w 60. rocznice urodzin. Poznań, 2008, pp. 217-239.
Klochko L.S. Skifske vbrannia. Istoriia ukrainskoho mystetsva: U 5 Mystetsvo pervisnoi doby ta starodavnioho svitu. Kyiv, 2008а, vol. I, pp. 208-229.
Klochko L. Amber in Garments of Populations of Scythia (Ways and Forms of Reception). Routes between the Seas: Baltik-Boh-Bug-Pont from the 3rd to the middle of the 1st millennium BC. Poznań, 2009, BPS 14, pp. 417-437.
Klochko L.S. Dekoratyvni elementy zhinochoho vbrannia na zemliakh Pravoberezhnoi Skifii. Starozhytnosti rannioho zaliznoho viku. Arkheolohiia i davnia istoriia Ukrainy. Kiyv, 2016, no. 2 (19), pp. 103-113.
Klochko L.S. Nozhni braslety v kostiumakh naselennia Skifii (iz rehionu Lisostepovoho Livoberezhzhia). Pratsi Tsentru pamiatkoznavstva: Zbirnyk naukovych prats. Kyiv, 2016a, no. 29, pp. 94-101.
Klochko L.S., Grebennikov J.S. Skifskii kalaf IV v. do n. e. Materialy po khronologii arkheologichnykh pamiatnikov Ukrainy. Kyiv: Naukova dumka, 1983, pp. 35-45.
Klochko L.S., Murzin V.J., Rolle R. Holovnyi ubir z kurhanu Tetianyna Mohyla. Arkheolohiia, 1991, no. 3, pp. 48-52.
Klochko L.S., Vasina S.O. Zhinochyi kostium naselennia Lisostepovoho Pravoberezhzhia u skifskyi chas (Kyievo-Cheraskyi rehion). Suchasni problemy arkheolohii: Zbirka nukovykh prats. Kyiv, 2002, pp. 92-94.
Klochko L.S., Vasina S.O. Rekonstruktsii zhinochoho vbrannia za znakhidkamy z «Velykoho kurhanu M.I. Veselovskoho». Muzeini chytannia. Materialy nauk. konf. Muzeiu istorychnykh koshtovnostei Ukrainy. Kyiv, 2002, pp. 150-168.
Kosenkova V.I. Kobanskaia kultura. Vostochnyi variant. Moskva: Nauka, 1977.
Kosenkova V.I. Kobanskaia kultura. Zapadnyi variant. Moskva: Nauka, 1989.
Kuzmina E.E. Skifskoie iskusstvo kak otrazhenie mirovozreniia odnoi iz grupp indoirantsev. Skifo-sibirskii zverinyi stil v iskusstve narodov Evrazii. Moskva: Nauka, 1976, pp. 52-66.
Krupa T.N., Krishtal A.P. Issledovanie zolotnykh nitei pervykh vekov nashei ery. Muzeini chytannia. Materialy nauk. konf. «Yuvelirne mystetstvo - pohliad kriz viky», Kyiv, Muzei istorychnykh koshtovnostei Ukrainy. Kyiv, 2007, pp. 140-146.
Lexikon der Antike. Leipzig, 1972.
Lobacheva N.P. O nekotorykh tsentrakh regionalnoi obshchnosti v traditsionnom kostiume narodov Srednei Azii i Kazakhstana. Traditsionnaia odezhda narodov Srednei Azii i Kazakhstana. Moskva: Nauka, 1989, pp. 5-38.
Maxwell-Hyslop K.R. Western Asiatic Jewellery c. 3000-612 BC. London, 1971.
Miroshina T.V. Skifskie kalafy. Sovetskaia arkheologiia. 1981, no. 1, pp. 139-149.
Miroshina T.V. Nekotoryie tipy skifskikh zhenskikh golovnykh uborov IV-III vv. do n. e. Sovetskaia arkheologiia. 1981, no. 4, pp. 46-69.
Mongait A.L. Arkheologiia Zapadnoi Evropy. Bronzovyi i zheleznyi veka. Moskva: Nauka, 1974.
Murashova V.V. Semioticheskii status poiasa v Srednevekovoi Rusi. Srednevekovyie drevnosti Vostochnoi Evropy. Moskva: Nauka, 1993, pp. 22-28.
Petrenko V.G. Ukrasheniia Skifii VII-III vv. do n. e. Moskva: Nauka, 1989, pp. 5-38.
Pokrovska Ye.F. Kurhany bilia s. Senkivka. Arkheolohiia, 1965, iss. XVIII, pp. 139-149.
Rostovtsev M.I., Stepanov P.K. Ellino-skifskii golovnoi ubor. Izvestiia arkheologicheskoi komissii, 1917, no. 63, pp. 169-192.
Sarianidi V.I. Khram i nekropol Tiliatepe. Moskva: Nauka, 1989.
Stepanov P.K. Istoriia russkoi odezhdy. Petrograd, 1915
Uiliams D., Ogden D. Grecheskoie zoloto. Yuvelirnoie iskusstvo klassicheskoi epokhi V-IV vv. do n. e. Katalog vystavki. London, 1979.
Vlasov V.G. Illiustrirovannyi Khudozhestvennyi slovar. Sankt-Peterburg: Nauka, 1993.
Wels-Weyrauch U. Im Grab erhalten, im Leben getragen. Tracht und Schmuck der Frau. Bronzezeit in Deutschland, 1994, pp. 60-64.
Yatsenko S.A. Kostium Drevnei Evrazii (iranoiazychnyie narody). Moskva: Nauka, 2006.
Zakharova I.V., Khodzhaieva R.D. Kazakhskaia natsionalnaia odezhda. Alma-Ata: Nauka, 1964.