Burials of Khazar Archers from Dyuker Mound Group

Abstract

Within the diverse materials discovered during archaeological surveys in the territory of Kalmykia, burials of early medieval nomads are of utmost interest. Certain features of the burial ceremony, submound pits, backing niches, splendid burial accessories, accompanying livestock burials (horses and sheep) help date some of the burials to the Khazar period. The article considers three burials that in terms of ritual can be referred to the archaeological culture of the Khazar Khaganate. ‘Khazar’ mounds are the ones with burial chambers placed within four-cornered pits. It is noteworthy that so far most of such few burials of horsemen have been found in the Kalmyk steppe. The burials were discovered in 1982 during rescue excavations along the route of the Principal Kalmyk Channel. The mound group was named ‘Dyuker’. The field works over, no archaeological survey report was submitted to the Field Studies Department of Institute of Archaeology (RAS) that exercised academic control over the excavations to facilitate high methodological standards. Nowadays the report is just a manuscript containing neither photographs nor schemes. With evidence from the manuscript part of the 1982 archaeological survey report, the work identifies three burials as those of the Khazar period and describes the burial facilities (submound pits, graves), the burials as such, and accompanying accessories analysis of which made it possible to conclude about the social status and professional activities of the buried individuals. The paper also studies the mutual spatial arrangement of human and animal remains within the graves and provides a situational layout of the burial field. Moreover, findings from the burials have been identified, partially restored and taken pictures of in the depository of Kalmykia’s National Museum. The performed work attempted to eliminate the historiographic gap in studies of Khazar monuments within the mentioned burial site. The survey outcomes shall facilitate deepening of our knowledge about the Khazars and their culture.