Pages: 69-88

The planigraphy of 6 nomadic necropolises of the Late Sarmatian time is studied for 3 regions of the European Steppes: the Lower Don Basin (Vysochino I, II, V, Kirovskii I—III, the mid. 2nd — the mid. 3rd centuries AD), the South Bessarabia (Alkalia, Diviziia, the mid. 2nd — mid. 3rd centuries AD) and the Steppe part of Daghestan (Lvovskii Pervyi 2 and 4, the early 3rd — the mid. 4th centuries AD). These data are compared with necropolises of Sarmatians who settled gradually in fortified settlements in the mid. 2nd — the mid. 3rd centuries AD (Brut 2, Viazovo). The specificity of the social and sacred space of the necropolises, their elite zones, the family concentrations, the funerary barrows, distribution of women-warriors, probable spouses, burials without artefacts, artefacts with tamga-signs and of looting peculiarities were analyzed in complex. Female graves prevail in majority of the studied necropolises, and there are many symbolic graves of those who died far away from home (which tells about dangerous military activities). The height of the barrow is an important social indicator. Settlement in fortified places led to a bigger number of female and children’s graves buried outside barrows, while improved security and military differentiation of men led to a sharp decrease or disappearance of symbolic graves (Brut 2).

Keywords: Eastern European Steppes, the mid. 2nd — the mid. 4th centuries AD, Sarmatians, necropolises planigraphy, social and sacred space

Information about author:

Sergey Yatsenko (Moscow, Russian Federation). Doctor of Historical Sciences. Russian State University for the Humanities. Miusskaya Sq., 6, GSP-3, Moscow, 125993, Russian Federation
E-mail: [email protected]