ALTAI IN THE ROURAN TIME : CULTURAL AND CHRONOLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL MATERIALS

  • A.A. Tishkin Altai State University Email: tishkin210@mail.ru
  • V.V. Gorbunov Altai State University Email: vadingorbunov67@mail.ru
Keywords: Altai, Rouran time, cultural and chronological analysis, armament, equipment, ornaments, tools, household items

Abstract

In Altai, archaeological sites of the Rouran times constitute a rather representative group. Their study began in the second half of the 19th century, but the main scientific materials were obtained in the period from the mid-1980s to the early 2000s. By now, numerous data on the burial rites and material culture of the population living in the Altai in the 2nd half of the 4th — 1st half of the 5th century AD have been formed. The accumulated data made it possible to solve questions related to the chronology of specific archaeological sites, as well as to clarify hypotheses about their ethno-cultural affiliation. The article presents characteristics and typological analysis of such object complexes as armament, human equipment, costume ornaments, equestrian equipment, tools of labour and everyday life. Their analogies and connections with different cultural traditions are determined. The distinctive features of the selected Verkh-Uymon stage of the Bulan-Koby archaeological culture are outlined and the historical context of the studied material is given.

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Author Biographies

A.A. Tishkin, Altai State University

Doctor of History, Professor, Head of the Department of Archaeology, Ethnography and Museology, Chief Researcher R&D Support Department, Altai State University

V.V. Gorbunov, Altai State University

Doctor of Historical Sciences, Docent, Professor of the Department of Archaeology, Ethnography and Museology, Altai State University,

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Published
2025-01-18
How to Cite
Tishkin A., Gorbunov V. ALTAI IN THE ROURAN TIME : CULTURAL AND CHRONOLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL MATERIALS // THEORY AND PRACTICE OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL RESEARCH, 2025. Vol. 36, № 4. P. 25-47 DOI: 10.14258/tpai(2024)36(4).-02. URL: https://journal.asu.ru/tpai/article/view/16780.
Section
THEORETICAL AND METHODOLOGICAL ISSUES OF ARCHAEOLOGY

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