Turkic enclosures in the nizhnyaya sooru natural boundary: unpublished part of the complex (based on excavations by A. S. Vasyutin)

Abstract

The article presents the publication of materials of a series Turkic enclosures in the Nizhnyaya Sooru complex (Central Altai), located in the Ongudai district of the Altai Republic. These objects were investigated by the Altai detachment of the South Siberian archaeological expedition of Kemerovo State University under the leadership of A. S. Vasyutin in 1981. To date, only part of the structures is briefly published, which does not allow the full use of the materials obtained. Based on the information presented in the reporting documentation on the results of excavations, a detailed description of the studied early medieval enclosures is carried out. An analysis of the recorded indicators allowed us to conclude that the objects under consideration are characterized by the absence of both early (small stone boxes, horse burials, atypical orientation of balbals, etc.), and later (realistic stone sculptures) characteristic signs of Turkic "funeral" complexes. It has been established that at least part of the excavated enclosures of the Nizhnyaya Sooru complex can be attributed to the Kudyrge stage of the culture of early medieval Turks and dated within the second half of the VI — first half of the VII centuries AD.