Social Symbolism of Toreutics in Kimek Society: Status of Male Warrior Revisited

Abstract

The article aims to show the role of toreutic items in the demonstration of the status of a male warrior. Materials. In the Middle Ages toreutics was mainly used in decorating costume details and items of military and horse equipment. The field of its application indicates the crucial importance of artistic metalworking in the study of medieval societies. Interesting samples of toreutics in the period under consideration are metal items produced in the Kimak Khaganate that existed in the Ob-Irtysh interfluve between the 9th and 11th cc. Many of such items found in the burials of the Kimaks clearly indicate the leading role of toreutics in the demonstration of the social roles in the Middle Ages. The article discusses the research history of the Kimaks, which were most actively studied in the 1970s and 1980s. Recently, new information has been obtained thanks to the archaeological research in the region. The study of the steppe elite burials of the mounds Karakaba I and II, Tuyetas, and Ayan produced important data that may shed new light on the social structure of the Kimak society. Results. This study focuses on the evidence of ten male burials, which comprise a rich inventory of grave goods, including belts, military and horse equipment, as well as such status items as gold jewelry, musical instruments, and silk clothing. The pertaining ethnographic information discussed in the article shows that such items as belts and horse equipment elements had a symbolic meaning in the society in question, especially in terms of status. The examination of written sources shows social differentiation in the Kimak society. More detailed information was obtained thanks to the archaeological evidence. The differences between the rich burials were noticeable both in terms of the funeral rite and in the grave goods. For example, such burials may comprise several belts or may comprise other valuable goods except for belts; also, the burials differed in terms of the number of horses buried with the deceased. Thus, the authors conclude that the available information indicates the existence of various categories of warriors in the Kimak society, which need to be further researched.