Ph.D., associate professor Omarov G.K.

Al-Farabi Kazakh national university

PhD student Zhumatayev R.S.

Al-Farabi Kazakh national university

Funeral architecture of archeological monuments of “Kulazhorga ” type

The obsequies are the key elements in culture of any ethnos. In this context, in recent decades the nomads’ barrows and stony ritual and cult objects were the target for the intent studying. They turned from little-known and exotic issue of studying into the objects of interest of wide range of the researchers. The architecture experts pay the close attention to them.

The purpose of this work, therefore, is to define an arrangement structure and obsequies applied in the barrows of Kulazhorga type.

The analyzing and dating of the monuments of the said type allowed defining the main differences between the funeral architecture.

The Kulazhorga period was the last one, i.e. the third period of culture of the early nomads of the East Kazakhstan. For the first time the monuments of this period were registered in 1948 by S. S. Chernikov during researches of barrows grounds of the the early iron period to be in close proximity to Kulazhorga aul and Baty-Samarsky district of the East Kazakhstan.

Singularity of intra-tomb architecture and obsequies in the studied objects, unsimilarity to monuments located in this territory referred to this period were basis for the researcher to represente those monuments as the separate cultural period.

Thus, in 1940-1950 S.S. Chernikov, who carried out the archeological excavations in several burial mounds referred to this period, had drawn a conclusion concerning cultural attribution, obsequies, the period of life of the people which constructed those monuments. Scientific inquiry of the said researcher in respect of the above period was continued by F.Kh. Arslanova, Z.S. Samashev in 1960-80, and by A.A.Tkachyov in the early 1990. There are about 80 barrows of the Kulazhorga period dug out and researched up to the present moment.

Burial mounds of Kulazhorga type were in detail exposed during research of monuments of Kulazhorga, Kyzylta, Zhartas, Baht, Jupiter, Slavyanka, Ubaredmet, Karashat; their diameter was about 5-15 m, height was 0,6 m. In burial mounds Bahty and Pchela there were registered two graves with diameter of 30 m.

Based on their structure and obsequies S.S. Chernikov divided the burial mounds by two time periods [1]. Following the statements of the said researcher, we can note the following regularities inherent in the Kulazhorga type. The monuments referred to BC IV-III involved the circular embankments consisting of a mix of stones and soil and having the diameter of 4,5-7,5 m. and hight of 0,3-0,5 m. As far as it went deep into, the bone chamber widened and got bell-shaped. In a grave, in a stony box, a deceased was buried in a lateral position with legs bent. A horse was buried on a flooring of the grave or alongside of the diseased in the face-down position (Fig. 1). Funeral items were richer in comparison with the items of the second period. In the grave there were items of gold, bronze, and bone, jewelries, tools, and, basically, various clay products covered with red paint with rare patterns.

Fig.1. Intra-tomb structure of the monuments of “Kulazhorga” type

The funeral tradition and land structure of the last period to cover BC ІІ– AD І of the Kulazhorga period, demonstrated some similarity to Uysun monuments of Zhetysu lands; that was the reason for some researchers to suggest that some southern-east people moved to the East Kazakhstan by the action of Huns [2]. During the above period the deceased were buried with their backs, heads oriented to the west or the northwest, in an oval bone chamber that was narrowed to its bottom. A custom to bury the deceased in a stony box, as well as a custom to bury a horse together with the deceased disappeared. In comparison with monuments of the early period the items put into a grave were leaner; the pottery was made in the form of a jug with thin walls, but they were quite qualitative. The barrow’s foot necessarily had a fence.

At the end of BC IV– AD І, on the northern slopes of Altay and Tarbagatay Mountains, the cultural traditions replaced each other and the ethnic structure of the population changed. Obviously, it took place in connection with "the Great Camping Ground of the People", i.e. as a result of their capture by the Huns. The said fact might be confirmed by the monuments of Kulazhorga culture.

In general, S. S. Chernikov stated that the Kulazhorga culture was left by Uge tribes, which became known at the time of crusade of Gunn Shanyuya Chzhichzhi to the west. As judged by remains of ceramics and millet found in the graves, they moved at no distance at all [3, p. 64-81].

A.A.Tishkin and V.V.Gorbunov agreed with the opinion of the said researcher noting that in BCІІ the Huns completely mastered the western lands of the Central Asia [4, p. 38].

The researches, conducted in recent years in the regions adjsatcent to a zone studied, expanded the area of Kulazhorga monuments a little.

The monuments of "Kulazhorga" type grouped in the small area by age and external architectural structure were divided in two types. In an initial stage, the custom to bury the decased in stony box, which was cancelled in the bronze period, renewed in the graves architectural structure. Alongside with that, the custom to bury the deceased with horse, that ascended to "Pazyryk" culture of Mountain Altay, rose. And in connection with that fact that new ethnic customs apperaed in the last period, the custom of burial and graves’ external and internal structure changed.

References

1. Chernikov S.S. K voprosu o khronologicheskikh periodakh v epokhu rannikh kochevnikov (po arkheologicheskim materialam Vostochnogo Kazakhstana ). // Pervobytnaya arkheologiya Sibiri. - L.,1975. S.132-137.

2. Arslanova F.KH., Z.S. Samashev . Novyye materialy po kulazhurginskoy kulture Vostochnogo Kazakhstana // Arkheologicheskiye issledovaniya v zonakh melioratsii: itogi i perspektivy ikh intensifikatsiy. - L., 1985. - S. 28-30.

3. Chernikov S.S. Otchet o rabotakh Vostochno - Kazakhstanskoy ekspeditsii 1948 g. // Izvestiya AN Kazakhskoy SSR. Ser. arkheol. - Alma-Ata: Izd - vo AN Kaz SSR, 1951. - Vyp. 3, № 108. - S. 64-81.

4. Tishkin A.A., Gorbunov V.V. Gornyy Altay v khunnuskoye vremya: kulturno - khronologicheskiy analiz arkheologicheskikh materialov // RA.- 2006.- № 3. - S. 31-41.