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Attempts to correlate the Yuezhi of Chinese sources with the Pazyryk culture that have been made since the middle of last century are completely groundless. Detailed examination shows that the material evidences which were used as a proof of this theory and its further development are either anachronistic or reflect connections so broad that separate comparison of single cultures and monuments is meaningless. At the same time, there are reasons to suppose that those who belonged to the Pazyryk culture were a part of the Dingling. In the 6th century their distant descendants accounted for the bulk of the subordinate tribes of ethno-political hierarchy of the First Turkic Khaganate, which explains some similarities between Pazyryk and Old Turkic cultures.

Keywords: Central Asia, Altai, Pazyryk, Yuezhi, Dingling, Tiele, animal style, horse harness, belt sets.

Information about author:

Pavel Azbelev (Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation). The State Hermitage Museum. Dvortsovaya Emb., 34, Saint Petersburg, 190000, Russian Federation
E-mail: [email protected]