ARROWHEADS IN THE KAMENNY AMBAR SETTLEMENT AND SOME REMARKS ON MILITARY CONFLICTS IN THE SINTASHTA SOCIETY | |||
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Year | 2016 | Number | 4 (53) |
Pages | 77-84 | Type | scientific article |
UDC | 903.222(470.5)"637" | BBK | 63.442.6(235.55) |
Authors | Epimakhov Andrey V. Semyan Ivan A. |
Topic | ARCHAEOLOGICAL MOSAIC |
Summary | The objective of this paper is the analysis of evidences of military activity in the Sintashta culture of the Bronze Age. The conclusions are based on a large collection of stone, bone and metal arrowheads from Kamenny Ambar settlement (more than 20 finds). The analysis of morphology and detailed elaboration of the finds’ context made possible the chronological and cultural affiliation of the items. It was established that most of the finds belonged to the early (Sintashta) period of the settlement’s existence. Comparison of the composition and morphology of the settlement’s artifacts with a synchronous necropolis (Kamenny Ambar-5) revealed some significant differences. The collection was studied within the general context of the Sintashta antiquities and other Bronze Age sites. The Kamenny Ambar settlement collection differed in terms of the number of finds, but it had no traces of violence or a military catastrophe. Nor were there any traces of war injuries in the anthropological materials. Comparison with the sites, which definitely experienced a military attack, demonstrated significantly lower density of finds in Kamenny Ambar settlement. As a result we came to a conclusion that the settlement and, in fact, the culture in general, did not contain any signs of actual military conflicts. This conclusion was in contrast with the presence of fortification systems at the Sintashta settlements and a considerable number of weapons in interments. It could be that the fortification systems served as a preventive measure against possible attacks from the outside. Indirectly this thesis was confirmed by the fact that all sites with the evidences of military assaults had no defensive systems. | ||
Keywords | Bronze Age, Sintashta culture, warfare, arrowheads, fortification, contextual analysis | ||
References |
Матющенко В. И., Синицина Г. В. Могильник у д. Ростовка вблизи Омска. Томск, 1988. |
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