Amulets With Protomes of the Saltiv Culture Population's Forest Steppe Variant
Keywords:
Saltiv-Maiak culture, catacomb, amulets, Alans, camel.Abstract
This study is dedicated to bronze pendant amulets with protomes, discovered in the catacombs of three different sections of the early medieval Verkhnii Saltiv Burial Ground (VSB-I, VSB-III, VSB-IV). The study examines 14 specimens (13 intact and one fragmented) originating from 12 burial complexes. The bronze pendants are represented by two types: amulets with bird protomes (catacombs nos. 1, 7 (VSB-IV), no. 68 (VSB-I), and burial complex no. 24 (VSB-III)) (fig. 1: 1–6); amulets with camel heads (catacombs nos. 37, 67, 96 (VSB-IV), no. 46 (VSB-I), and no. 2 (VSB-III)) (fig. 1: 8–10). The discovered pendants also differ in the degree of realism in the depiction of animals and birds. Some amulets feature a generalised representation of animal heads (fig. 1: 2, 4–5), while others depict the heads of waterfowl (fig. 1: 2, 4–5) or predatory birds (fig. 1: 3). A realistic depiction of a camel’s head is present on three pendants (catacombs nos. 37, 67 (VSB-IV), no. 46 (VSB-I)) (fig. 1: 8–10), while three other amulets feature stylised camel heads (fig. 1: 11–13). The complexes in which amulets with bird and camel protomes were found are dated from the early to the third quarter of the 9th century. These pendants were located near the pelvic bones of the deceased (catacombs nos. 7, 96, 142 (VSB-IV), catacomb nos. 2 and 24 (VSB-III)), suggesting that they were most often suspended on a belt. These amulets were part of the inventory of women of reproductive age and children. In Ossetian and some Indo-European mythologies, birds were markers of the upper world, symbolising the sun. Among nomadic and semi-nomadic peoples of Central Asia, the camel, was considered a carrier of fire associated with the sky and the sun. Therefore, amulets with bird and camel protomes can be classified as solar amulets. The presence of such amulets in the burial sites of the Alan population of Verkhnii Saltiv, the central settlement of the entire Saltiv land, is associated with the incorporation of this population into the active trade relations maintained by the Khazar Khaganate with eastern regions including Khwarezm and China.
References
Aksіоnov, V. S. 2018. Pokhovalnyi obriad rannoserednovichnoho Verkhno-Saltivskoho mohylnyka: dosvid statystychnoho analizu. Arheologia, 2, p. 42-56. https://doi.org/10.15407/archaelogyua 2018.02.042
Aksіоnov, V. S. 2024. Rannoserednovichni dzerkala z tsentralnoiu petelkoiu na zvoroti z kolektsii Kharkivskoho istorychnoho muzeiu imeni M. F. Sumtsova. Archaeology and Early History of Ukraine, 3 (52), p. 72-86. https://doi.org/10.37445/adiu.2024.03.06
Albegova, Z. Kh. 1995. K voprosu o religii alan (po amuletam saltovo-maiatskoi kultury). In: Afanasev, G. E. (ed.). Bazy dannykh v arkheologii. Kompiuter v arkheologicheskikh issledovaniiakh. Moscow: Institut arkheologii RAN, p. 10-33.
Albegova, Z. Kh. 2001. Palaeososiological Research of the Alanic Religion of the 7th – 9th Centuries (on the Amulets from the North Caucasian and Middle Don catacomb tombs). Rossiiskaia arkheologiia, 2, p. 83-96.
Albegova, Z. Kh, Kovalevskaia, V. B. 2011. Amulety v vide konei i vsadnikov v pamiatnikakh Severnogo Kavkaza i Srednego Dona. In: Mamaev, Kh. M. (ed.). Voprosy drevnei i srednevekovoi arkheologii Kavkaza. Groznyi; Moscow: Institut arkheologii RAN, Institut gumanitarnykh issledovanii AN CHR, p. 277-295.
Albegova, Z. Kh., Kovalevskaia, V.B. 2012. Early medieval ring-shape amulets. Kratkie soobshcheniia Instituta arkheologii, 226, p. 109-122.
Artamonov, M. I. 2002. Istoriia khazar. Sankt-Petersburg: Filologicheskii fakultet SPbGU.
Afanasev, G. E. 1973. Bronzovye figurki vsadnikov iz alanskikh pogrebenii Severnogo Kavkaza. Sbornik Gosudarstvennogo Ermitazha, XXXVI, p. 36-39.
Afanasev, G. E. 1976. Dokhristianskie religioznye vozzreniia alan (po materialam amuletov mogilnika Mokraia Balka). Sovetskaia etnografiia, 1, p. 125-130.
Afanasiev, G. E. 1993. The Alans of the Don. Social structures among the Alan population of the middle Don basin. Moskva: Nauka.
Brokgauz, F. A., Efron, I. A. 1892. Entsiklopedicheskii slovar, VI (11). Sankt-Peterburg: Tipo Litografiia I. A. Efrona.
Bykov, A. A. 1974. Iz istorii denezhnogo obrashcheniia Khazarii v VIII i IX vv. In: Tveritinova, A. S. (ed.) Vostochnye istochniki po istorii narodov Iugo-Vostochnoi i Tsentralnoi Evropy, III. Moscow: Nauka, p. 26-70.
Gerasimenko, N. P. 1997. Prirodnaia sreda obitaniia cheloveka na Iugo-Vostoke Ukrainy v poznelednikove i golotsene (po materialam paleograficheskogo izucheniia arkheologicheskikh pamiatnikov). Arkheologicheskii almanakh, 6, p. 3-64.
Golan, A. 1993. Mif i simvol. Moscow: Russlit.
Gyul, T. I. 2020. The image of a camel in pre-islamic art of Transoxiana: cultural and religious aspect. Narody i religii Evrazii, 1 (22), p. 117-129. https://doi: 10.14258/nreur(2020)1-09
Zakhoder, B. N. 1962. Kaspiiskii svod svedenii o Vostochnoi Evrope. Gorgan i Povolzhe v IX–X vv. Moscow: Vostochnaia literatura.
Kislov, A. V., Poltaraus, B. V. 1989. O vremennoi uporiadochennosti kolebanii klimata raznykh masshtabov. In: Khotinskii, N. A. (ed.). Paleoklimaty i pozdnelednikovia i golotsena. Moscow: Nauka, p. 44-47.
Kovalevskaia, V. B. 1978. Izobrazheniia konia i vsadnika na srednevekovykh amuletakh Severnogo Kavkaza. In: Kozenkova, V. I. (ed.). Voprosy drevnei i srednevekovoi arkheologii Vostochnoi Evropy. Moscow: Nauka, p. 111-120.
Kovalevskaia, V. B. 1981. Severokavkazskie drevnosti. In: Pletneva, S. A. (ed.). Stepi Evrazii v epokhu srednevekovia. Moscow: Nauka, p. 83-97, 173-187.
Kovalevskaia, V. B. 1995. Khronologiia drevnostei severokavkazskikh alan. In: Tmenov, V.Kh. (ed.). Alany: istoriia i kultura. Vladikavkaz: SOIGI, p. 123-183.
Koloda, V. V, Horbanenko, S. A. 2018. Silske hospodarstvo naselennia Khozarskoho kahanatu v lisostepovii zoni. Kyiv: Akademperiodуka.
Komar, A. V. 1999. Predsaltovskie i rannesaltovskie gorizonty Vostochnoi Evropy. Vita Antiqua, 2, p. 111-136.
Kravchenko, E.E. 2020. Sidorovsky Archaelogical Complex on the Seversky Donets river. Arkheologiia Evraziiskikh stepei, 4. https://doi.org/10.24411/2587-6112-2020-1-0031
Kravchenko, E.E. 2022. The Muslims of Khazar time on the Severskiy Donets: archaeological evidence and issues of their interpretation. Arkheologiia Evraziiskikh stepei, 6, p. 59-75. https://doi.org/10.24852/2587-6112.2022.6.59.75
Krasilnikov, K. I. 1986. Tandyry v saltovskikh zhilishchakh Podonia. Sovetskaia arkheologiia, 3, p. 48-60.
Krasilnikov, K. I. 2001. Novye dannye ob etnicheskom sostave naseleniia stepnogo Podontsovia VIII — nach. X v. In: Evglevskii, A. V. (ed.). Stepi Evropy v epokhu srednevekovia, 2. Donetsk: DonNU, p. 303-322.
Kryganov, A. V. 1993. Otchet o raskopkakh v 1992 g. Netailovskogo mogilnika v Volchanskom raione Kharkovskoi oblasti. Scientific Archives of the Institute of Archaeology, the NAS of Ukraine, f. 64, 1993/58.
Kryganov, A. V. 2001. Verkhnesaltovskii i Netailovskii arkheologicheskii pamiatniki saltovskoi kultury — ostatki drevnego khazarskogo goroda. In: Evglevskii, A.V. (ed.). Stepi Evropy v epokhu srednevekovia, 2. Donetsk: DonNU, p. 347-358.
Liapushkin, I. I. 1958. Karnaukhovskoe poselenie. Materialy i issledovaniia po arkheologii SSSR, 62, p. 263-314.
Minorskii, V. F. 1963. Istoriia Shirvana i Derbenda X–XI vekov. Moscow: Izdatelstvo Vostochnoi literatury.
Mikheev, V. K. 1988. Otchet ob arkheologicheskikh issledovaniiakh Srednevekovoi ekspeditsii Kharkovskogo gosuniversiteta za 1987 god. Scientific Archives of the Institute of Archaeology, the NAS of Ukraine, f. 64, 1987/100.
Pletneva, S. A. 1967. Ot kochevii k gorodam. Saltovo-maiatskaia kultura. Materialy i issledovaniia po arkheologii SSSR, 146. Moscow: Nauka.
Pletneva, S. A. 1981. Saltovo-maiatskaia kultura. In: Pletneva, S.A. (ed.). Stepi Evrazii v epokhu srednevekovia. Moscow: Nauka, p. 62-75, 148-165.
Pletneva, S. A. 1984. Risunki na stenakh Maiatskogo gorodishcha. In: Pletneva, S. A. (ed.). Maiatskoe gorodishche. Moscow: Nauka, p. 57-94.
Pletneva, S. A. 1989. Na slaviano-khazarskom pograniche. Dmitrievskii arkheologicheskii kompleks. Moscow: Nauka.
Pletneva, S. A. 1996. Sarkel i “shelkovyi put”. Voronezh: Izdatelstvo VGU.
Rybakov, B. A. 1987. Iazychestvo Drevnei Rusi. Moscow: Nauka.
Sodnompilova, M. M., Nanzatov, B. Z. 2013 “Taban khoshuu mal” verbliud v traditsionnykh predstavleniiakh mongolskikh narodov. Vestnik Buriatskogo nauchnogo tsentra Sibirskogo otdeleniia RAN, 4, p. 34-45.
Flerova, V. E. 2001. Obrazy i siuzhety mifologii Khazarii. Moscow; Jerusalem: Mosty kultury.
Khoruzha, M. V. 2014a. Kiltsepodibni ta soliarno-zoomorfni amulety saltovo-maiatskoi kultury v kolektsii Kharkivskoho istorychnoho muzeiu. In: Soshnikova, O. M. (ed.). Dvadtsiati Sumtsovski chytannia: zbirnyk materialiv Vseukrainskoi naukovoi konferentsii “Muzei u hlobalnomu sviti: innovatsii ta zberezhennia tradytsii”. Kharkiv: Maidan, p. 287-295.
Khoruzha, M. V. 2014b. Burials in dromos of catacombs am Verchniy Saltiv burial ground.. Arheologia, 2, p. 99-108.
Saag, L., Utevska, O., Zadnikov, S., Shramko, I., Gorbenko, K., Bandrivskyi, M., Pavliv, D., Bruyako, I., Grechko, D., Okatenko, V., Toshev, G., Andrukh, S., Radziyevska, V., Buynov, Y., Kotenko, V., Smyrnov, O., Petrauskas, O., Magomedov, B., Didenko, S., Heiko, A., Reida, R., Sapiehin, S., Aksonov, V., Laptiev, O., Terskyi, S., Skorokhod, V., Zhyhola, V., Sytyi, Y., Jarve, M., Lyn Scheib, C., Anastasiadou, K., Kelly, M., Williams, M., Silva, M, Barrington, C., Gilardet, A., Macleod, R., Pontus, S., Thomas, M. G. North Pontic Crossroads: Mobility in Ukraine from the Bronze Age to the Early Modern Period. 2025. Science Advances, 11 (2), p. 1-28. https://doi:10.1126/sciadv.adr0695
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Arheologia
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
This is an Open Access article under the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 license
