Burial of a Hunnic Period Noblewoman at Karakabak, Mangystau, Kazakhstan

This study continues a series of publications describing the fi ndings of excavations at the Karakabak cemetery on the Mangyshlak Peninsula, dating to the Hunnic period. Burial 11 was that of a girl dressed in an outfi t imitating a royal vestment. The reconstructed headdress consisted of a cape decorated with round, gold plaques and a diadem-type headband of red cloth with mask-shaped plaques. The central forehead plaque is a replica of Hellenistic gorgoneia. Similar masks were found in the Volga basin and the Northern Black Sea region. Temporal mask-plaques, carved of wood and covered with gold foil, have no parallels but follow the archaic Scythian tradition. Belt and shoe buckles were not attached to belts and were not used in everyday life. In terms of style and technique, the gold casing with an embossed geometric design on a wooden base belongs to a series of artifacts of the so-called Shipovo horizon. The buckle frames are shaped as stylized birds of prey with spread wings. The forehead plaque and details of the shoe straps are paralleled by those from Altynkazgan. The Karakabak artifacts are unique for the Aral-Caspian region, providing yet another indication of close cultural ties with the Hunnic world. All details of the outfi t were likely manufactured at a nearby workshop (the Karakabak settlement) in the second half of the 5th or fi rst half of the 6th century for the burial of a nomadic noblewoman.

EFFICIENCY OF PRODUCTION OF HORSE MEAT AND KOUMISS FROM THE KAZAKH HORSES OF THE ADAI OFFSPRING

Kazakh horses of the Adai offspring are the standard of herd horses in the desert zone of the Mangyshlak Peninsula. They perfectly adapt to the area of their reproduction, hardy to long-distance driving to various pastures. With an insignificant expenditure of labor and money, young Adai horses reach 340-350 kg of live weight by the age of 2.5 years. When slaughtering stallions, the carcass weight reaches 185-195 kg. High-milk mares for 105 days of lactation produce from 590 liters to 675 liters of marketable milk. The rates of slaughter yield in Adai young stock were also comparatively lower than that of stallions of the Mangystau population and averaged to 53.9 %, while the rate of slaughter yield in horses of the Mangistau population was 55.1 %. When studying the dairy productivity of both groups of mares, it was found that mares of the Adai offspring have higher dairy productivity than the Mangistau population under pasture conditions. Over 105 days of lactation, the milking capacity of the mares of the Adai offspring was 1617.0 liters, in the Mangistau population it was 1413.3 liters, and commercial milk yield was 674.1 and 590.1 liters, respectively. Thus, the yield of the Adai mares exceeds by 14.2 % or 84.0 liters in comparison with the Mangistau population. Profitability in the horse meat production reaches from 70 % to 74 % and in koumiss production – 13.9-16.9 %.

BIOLOGICAL FEATURES OF FORMATION OF EXTERIOR AND PRODUCTIVITY OF ADAY HORSES IN THE CONDITIONS OF THE MANGYSHLAK PENINSULA

It is established that milk mares of the Kazakh horse of the Aday breed have on average live weight of 389.2 kg, height at the withers of 139.2 cm, an oblique body length of 142.1 cm, a chest girth of 167.6 cm and a metacarpus girth of 17.5 cm. Mares of the Kazakh breed of the Mangystau population surpass in the live weight and body measurements the peers of Aday offspring. Namely, the live weight was 415.3 kg, the height at withers – 140.9 cm, the oblique body length – 143.4 cm, the chest girth – 170.5 cm and the metacarpus girth - 18.3 cm. In general, mares of the Kazakh horse of the Aday offspring are inferior to the minimum requirements for animals of the elite class in height at withers, the chest and metacarpus girths. At the same time, 90% of mares correspond to the 1 quality class. In stallions – producers of the Kazakh horses of the Aday offspring, the live weight averaged 438.7 kg, and in stud horses the Mangystau population – 449,8 kg. Body measurements in Aday horses were 145.2-147.5-169.8-18.5 cm, in the Mangystau population – 145.6-148.1-172.2-18.5 cm, respectively. Some regularities of growth and development of foals from birth to 30 months of age are established. A scale for the development of young Aday horses has been developed.

Cretaceous-Paleogene (K/T) boundary in the North-Eastern Caucasus (Dagestan): sedimentology, geochemistry and biota

The Cretaceous/Paleogene (K/T) boundary interval was studied in the Okhli and Gubden sections, northeastern Caucasus. Two sediment successions represented in these sections were accumulated in different zones of the paleobasin and distinguished by their lithological and geochemical characteristics. The high-resolution study of nannofossils revealed very gradual changes in nannoplankton community at the Cretaceous/Paleogene transition. The nannofossil assemblage becomes poor from the level ca. 4 m below K/T boundary and it is very scarce in the last 2.5 m of uppermost Maastrichtian. The significant sea-level fall is evidenced in the beginning of the K/T event. It led to erosion and redeposition of Maastrichtian calcareous sediments within the thin layer of clay, covering erosional surface in the Okhli section. The clay mineral assemblage, starting from this surface contains palygorskite. The concentrations of coprolites (Decapoda?) and microspherulas (diagenetic microconcretions) with higher content of some trace elements were found within the small red lenses at the base of the clay layer overlying the Maastrichtian erosional surface. The reliable evidence of impact event are not recognized. The evolutional trends which are recorded within the Cretaceous/Paleogene transitional interval in the Okhli and Gubden sections are similar to trends recognized in studied sections of the K/T event on the adjacent territories of the North-Eastern Peri-Tethys (e.g., southern Turkmenistan and Mangyshlak Peninsula).

OFFERINGS OF HUNNIC-TYPE ARTIFACTS IN STONE ENCLOSURES AT ALTYNKAZGAN, THE EASTERN CASPIAN REGION

In 2014–2015, nine enclosures built of stone slabs were excavated at Altynkazgan on the Mangyshlak Peninsula, Republic of Kazakhstan. Inside them, remains of offering ceremonies were found: vessels dug into the ground, altars made of limestone blocks, and pits for offerings. In one of these, we found a richly decorated bridle, in another, a belt set of inlaid golden plaques, and in the third, remains of a saddle (silver plates and other items). The entire assemblage has numerous parallels among the 5th and 6th century fi nds from the northern Black Sea area, North Caucasus, and the Volga basin. Ritual burial of a “golden” belt, a bridle, and a ceremonial saddle indicate an advanced cult that included offerings of prestigious belongings of a horseman. These rituals were introduced by Iranian-speaking nomads who had migrated to the eastern Caspian region during the Hunnic raids to Iran in the 5th century. At that time, owing to the regressive phase of the Caspian Sea, the semi-desert northern Caspian coast was connected with Mangyshlak by a land bridge. Our hypotheses are supported by both historical records and modern geomorphological studies of the Caspian Sea.

The Discovery of Altÿnkazgan

This article is devoted to the recently discovered site from the Hunnic period within the territory of the Mangÿshlak Peninsula (Kazakhstan). Inside a stone enclosure the silver facing of a saddle was found bearing depictions of animals and birds. The article provides a cultural interpretation of the site and a stylistic and semantic analysis of the depictions on the facings.