Stratifi cation of burials with weapons and equestrian equipmentin the burial grounds of the Sambian-Natangian cultureof the Migration Period and the Early Merovingian Period ; Стратификация погребений с оружием и всадническим снаряжением в могильниках самбийско-натангийской культуры эпохи Великого переселения народов и раннемеровингского времени

Abstract

International audience ; Th e main task of this work is to determine the meaning of weapons and equestrian equipment in the hierarchy ofburials of the Sambian-Natangian (Dolkeim-Kovrovo) civilisation of the Migration Period and the Early MerovingianPeriod, corresponding to the Balts, Aestii of written sources of the 6th century (Cassiodorus, Jordanes). In total,more than 180 burials with weapons and spurs have been identifi ed from this time. Th e weapons are dominatedby combat knives, while spears, axes and shields are less common. Burials with weapons and spurs at some burialgrounds, they are scattered over the entire investigated area and do not form pronounced clusters. Th ese are, forexample, the necropolises Lauth-Bolshoye Isakovo or Schlakalken-3. In other cases, it is possible to identify zones ofconcentration of burials with military equipment, for example, in the necropolises Corejten-Putilovo, Dollkeim- Kovrovo,Grebieten-Okunevo, Hünenberg-Rantau-Dobroe. It is diffi cult to say whether the identifi ed concentrations ofsuch graves correspond to any real social groups (families? clans?). It is also necessary to note the unevenness in therichness of the funerary inventory in diff erent necropolises. Th is diff erence is clearly evident in the armament of, forexample, the burial grounds of Mitino or Zaostrovye-1, where there are very few or no weapons at all, in comparison,for example, with the Warnikam-Pervomayskoye necropolis, where they are found much more oft en. Th e diff erenceis also manifested in the wealth of inventory in diff erent parts of the same necropolis, as can be seen from the exampleof the Mitino burial ground. It turned out that weapons play a limited role as a social marker and are inherent ina signifi cant part of male burials. Th e presence of "professional" weapons (shields) and equestrian equipment (spurs)in the burials clearly indicates that among the Aestii there were people who were profi cient in this equipment. Th espread of the fashion for belts, dating back to the late ...