UDC 903.27

A. Y. Borisenko 1, Yu. S. Khudyakov 2

1 Novosibirsk State University

2 Pirogova str., Novosibirsk, 630090, Russia

E-mail: aborisenko2@mail.ru

2 Institute of Archeology and Ethnography SB RAS

17 Akademika Lavrentieva Ave., Novosibirsk, 630090, Russia

E-mail: khudjakov@mail.ru

IMAGES OF WARRIORS ON THE TOREVTIKA OF THE TURKIC NOMADS OF CENTRAL ASIA IN THE EARLY MIDDLE AGES*

Bronze plaques depicting horsemen are found in the vast expanse of the nomadic world and in adjacent territories - in Transbaikalia, Mongolia, the Sayano-Altai, the Urals, Central Asia, and East Turkestan. They differ significantly from similar products from the forest zone of Eastern Europe, Western Siberia or the North Caucasus. For the first time plaques with the image of horsemen came to the attention of Western European scientists and travelers in the first third of the XVIII century. Currently, several groups are distinguished among them by a number of characteristics. The appearance of bronze plaques with the image of horsemen as part of the subject complex of ancient Turks is one of the manifestations of the Turkic-Sogdian cultural symbiosis, which was expressed in the borrowing of a pictorial plot - the image of a mounted warrior and a hunter - understandable and attractive to the Turkic nomadic nobility, since it corresponded to the nomadic cultural tradition.

Introduction

An important informative source on the history of military affairs of medieval Turkic-speaking nomadic ethnic groups of the steppe belt of Eurasia are images of warriors and war horses on toreutics items, bronze plaques and pendants that were part of the headdress and costume decorations of nomads. They were found in Transbaikalia, Mongolia, Sayan-Altai, Central Asia, and the Urals. Bronze plaques depicting horses have been discovered in Xinjiang. This range of objects has a certain stylistic similarity and is associated with the decorative and applied arts of the craft centers of Iran, Sogd, and East Turkestan. Bronze plaques depicting horsemen, typical of the cultures of the North Caucasus, the forest zone of Eastern Europe and Western Siberia, differ significantly from similar products in the complexes of medieval nomads of the steppe belt of Eurasia. Therefore, plaques with the image of horsemen in nomad cultures can be the object of independent research.

Study of bronze plaques depicting horsemen

For the first time these finds came to scientists in the XVIII century. The first such plaque was examined by the Englishman D. Bell. Among the "curious things" he mentioned "an armed man on horseback, cast from yellow copper,

* The work was carried out under the program of the Presidium of the Russian Academy of Sciences " Adaptation of peoples and cultures to changes in the natural environment, social and technological transformations "(project No. 21.2).

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unknown purpose and origin" [Zinner, 1968, pp. 51-52]. During a trip to the Altai, G. F. Miller purchased a bronze plaque from the graves "between the Ob and Irtysh"from bugrovschiki. This find has not been preserved, but thanks to a drawing by I. V. Lursenius, it is available for study (Miller, 1999, figs. 24, 3). In the first third of the 18th century, another bronze plaque was discovered in the Irtysh region in the form of a figure of a carapace rider [Molodin, Khudyakov, Borisenko, 2002, p. 46, 53].

In the 19th century, A. I. Schrenk purchased a bronze plaque depicting a walking armored warrior-archer in the village of Kulundinsky in Altai; it is kept in the Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography (Demin, 1989, p. 52). A plaque from the Minusinsk Museum was published by D. A. Klements [1886, Table VIII, 21].

Plaques depicting a horseman with a spear were found in the Srostki burial ground in the Upper Ob region (Gryaznov, 1930, p. 9). 36, 1, 2]. Another plaque was found in Transbaikalia (Mikhno and Petri, 1929, p. 323, 326). It was studied by A. P. Okladnikov [1951, p. 143-144]. L. A. Evtyukhova and S. V. Kiselev published plaques found in the Kopensk chay-tash [1940, p.50]. L. A. Evtyukhova noted that the horse hunting scene dates back to the art of Iran [1948, p. 52]. Bronze figures of soldiers are dated by her to the IX century. [Ibid., p. 106]. These finds were analyzed in detail by S. V. Kiselev [1949, p. 352, 354], who considered them products of Kyrgyz craftsmen [Ibid., p. 313, 358].

A bronze plaque in the form of a figure of a horseman from the South Gobi aimag of Mongolia was studied by V. V. Volkov [1965, p. 288].D. G. Savinov distinguished among the "specific general forms" of the Kimak and Srostkin cultures "figured images of horsemen with a "halo"" [1976, p. 97]. A similar plaque was found on the Gilevo XII monument in the Steppe Altai (Mogilnikov, 19816, fig. 26, 87; 2002, p. 31). In the work of V. A. Mogilnikov, a schematic drawing of the Srostkin plaque is given [1981a, figs. 27, 49]. Yu. S. Khudyakov published finds from the villages of Kolmakov and Beisky, stored in the Minusinsk Museum [1980, p. 146, Table L]. Yu. Plotnikov analyzed the famous bronze plaques depicting horsemen [1982, p. 55-58]. He noted the preparation of such a plaque found in Khojent, similar images on the Sogdian torevtika, Sogdian and East Turkestan frescoes, and attributed the "Turkic-Sogdian horsemen" to the products of Sogdian artisans for the Turks. T. V. Belyaeva dated the preparation from Khojent to the V - VI centuries [Antiquities..., 1985, p.327]. Plaques from the Minusinsk basin were considered by Yu. S. Khudyakov and L. M. Khaslavskaya [1990, p. 121]. One bronze plaque in the form of a figure of a horseman was found in the burial of a teenager of the VIII century. Birsky burial ground [Mazhitov and Sultanova, 1994, p. 113]. Later, it was examined and analyzed by Bashkir archaeologists [Sungatov and Yusupov, 2006, p. 247-252]. Yu. P. Alyokhin found two bronze plaques depicting armored horsemen in a children's burial mound at the Kondratievka IV monument in Rudny Altai during excavations of the "Kimak nobility" mound of the IX - X centuries [1998, p. 20; 2003, p. 6]. Another similar finding was published in the materials of Chach (Buryakov and Filanovich, 1999, p. 86). Bronze plaques depicting horses were found in Dunhuang [Khudyakov, 1996, p. 185].A. Yu. Borisenko and Yu. S. Khudyakov analyzed a series of medieval bronze plaques from the territory of Southern Siberia [2002, p. 111-111].

Identification of the characteristic features of several stylistic groups of bronze plaques depicting foot and horse warriors, as well as horses, made it possible to establish the boundaries of the distribution of these objects in the nomadic cultures of Central Asia and the oases of Central Asia.

Typology of plaques with the image of horsemen

According to stylistic features and a set of realities, there are several groups of bronze plaques. The first includes plaques depicting lightly armed horsemen. Horses are shown in profile. The head, neck, torso, all four legs, and tail are highlighted. On most of the plaques, a bridle, a nach plume and a neck brush, reins, chest and trophy belts are transferred. The riders are depicted in a half-turn or full-face, with long loose hair or in headdresses, in long-skirted robes with triangular lapels on the chest, in pointed soft boots. On the side of the warriors is shown a quiver with a long receiver extending down or up. Only the Chikoy plaque shows a broadsword with a ring pommel. Plaques from Khojent, Chach, South Gobi, Duren and Birsk burial ground (Figs. 1, 1 - 5) show the curved upper end of the naluchye behind the riders ' backs.

If there are similarities between the plaques of this group, there are significant differences, on the basis of which two types are distinguished.

Type 1. Plaques depicting riders with weapons, without a dedicated base - a horizontal stripe connecting the horse's four legs and tail. Four finds belong to this type: from the Durena locality on the Chikoi River in Transbaikalia, Uta, and from Chach and Khojent. Chachskaya and Chikoyskaya are the most detailed plaques of this type. The rider shows the features of the face, otvoro-

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Fig. 1. Plaques with the image of horsemen. 1-Khojent; 2 - Chach; 3 - South Gobi; 4 - Duren; 5 - Birsky burial ground; 6-Srostki.

The scale varies.

without a robe, cuffs on the sleeve; on the chikoyskaya nakhodka - edging of the lower edge of the hem of the robe and boots with a top. On all four plaques, the upper end of the Naluchya with a bow is depicted, on the Chach and Khojent-a quiver, on the Chikoy-a broadsword with a ring pommel. All four horse figures have a magnificent nach sultan fluttering in the wind, and a nauz under the lower jaw. The Chacha and Duren plaques show a bridle with reins, a cheprak, chest and trophy belts; the chacha one shows a yeshe and two brushes each suspended from these belts (Fig. 1, 1, 2,4 ; 7, 3).

Judging by the level of detail of the image, the Khojent find can be considered an initial blank, while the Chach one can be considered a fully finished product. The image on the Chikoy plaque has some differences: a broadsword instead of a quiver, there are no brushes on the saddle straps, the horse's legs are separated, the long tail flutters in the wind.

Type 2. Plaques depicting armed horsemen on horseback with their legs and tail connected by a solid horizontal line. Four finds belong to this type: from the Southern Gobi, the Birsk burial ground (Figs. 1, 3, 5), and two from the Minusinsk Museum (Fig. 2, 1, 3; 3; 4). On the South Gobi and Bira plaques, riders are shown with their heads uncovered and their long hair loose, fluttering in the wind at shoulder level on the first one and descending to the horse's rump on the second. On one (large) Minusinsk plaque, the rider's face is depicted,

2. Plaques with the image of horsemen.

1, 3-Minusinsk basin; 2 - Semipalatinsk; 4-Kopensky chaatas, mound 6.

The scale varies.

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3. Large Minusinsk plaque.

Fig. 4. Small Minusinsk plaque from the Bayskoye field.

on the head is a low skullcap ornamented with vertical lines; on the other - a rounded head and schematic facial features. The Birsk find shows a warrior with narrow eyes, a straight nose, a long mustache and a small mouth. The clothing and shoes of the riders are depicted on this and on the large Minusinsk plaques: on the first one, the cuffs of the sleeves and the hem trim are highlighted, on the second - the lapels of the robe; on both - pointed boots with short tops. Three items show the same type of quivers with a receiver extending downwards, slantwise suspended from the belt. The warriors ' right hand is shown on the neck of the quiver. On the Birsk plaque, the position of the rider's hand is the same and an object was probably depicted slanted from the belt, but in this part the image is not clearly preserved. Two images show the upper end of the naluchya: in South Gobi, it protrudes from behind the elbow, and in Birsk, it rests on the horse's tail. On the South Gobi and large Minusinsk plaques are depicted chepraki with a border, on the Birskaya-descending below the horse's belly. Nach plumes on the heads of horses are shown on all four finds: on the South Gobi - fluttering, as on plaques of the first type, on the rest-fluffed. Three plaques show an under-neck brush: on the South Gobi and Birsk plaques - a large one, hanging down; on the large Minusinsk one - a small one, attached to the submandibular belt. On the same plaque, the bridle is well marked. All products except the South Gobi one show reins. Saddle belts are shown on the chest and rump of horses, but only on the small Minusinsk plaque from the village of Beisky they are decorated with overlays.

The most detailed is the large Minusinsk plaque, the most schematic is the small one from the village of Beisky. The South Gobi and Bira finds are notable for the fact that the riders have such an ethnographically significant feature as long, loose hair. A great similarity between plaques of the first and second types is observed in the ratio of the figures of the rider and horse, in the set of realities of costume and horse decoration. The presence of a horizontal stripe connecting the legs and tail of horses, in plaques of the second type, prevents snagging on the edges of clothing. In the Chacha horse figure, one of the hind legs is broken off (Borisenko and Khudyakov, 2002, pp. 110-113).

The second group includes plaques with the image of riders with a disk behind their backs. Warriors are shown in protective clothing with weapons in their hands, sitting astride sledged and bridled horses. A characteristic feature of these plaques is the image of a round disc-shaped object behind the head, shoulders and back of the riders. On the Irtysh plaque, a large disk is surmounted by a second small disk with a hole in the center (Fig. 5, 1). The ratio of the size of the disc-shaped object and the rider's figure is different. The upper edge of the disk may be at the level of the plume on the top of the helmet or noticeably higher, the lower edge-at the level of the forearm or elbows of soldiers, and on the Gilevsky plaque it reaches the lower back of the warrior (Fig. 5, 3). Most researchers consider this to be the image of a halo, associate it with the influence of Buddhism and Manichaeism (Mogilnikov, 1981a, p. 44-45]. Yu. P. Alyokhin called the image of the horseman a "Warrior Buddha" [1998]. One of the authors of this article interpreted the disk as a rounded shield [Khudyakov, 1980, p. 130].

According to the presence of melee or remote combat weapons in the hands of riders depicted on plaques, two types can be distinguished.

Type 1. Plaques with the image of armored horsemen-spearmen with blades on their belts. To this one

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Figure 5. Plaques depicting horsemen, a pedestrian archer, and a horse. 1 - Irtysh region; 2-Kolmakovo; 3-Gilevo XII, mound 1, 4-Ob-Irtysh region; 5-Dunhuang; 6-Kulundinskoe.

The scale varies.

6. Kolmakov plaque.

Eight finds belong to this type: from the Kolmakovo localities in the Minusinsk Basin (Figs. 5, 2, 6); and Splices in the Upper Ob region (see Fig. 1, 6; 7, 1, 2); Kondratievka IV, mound 2, grave 2 in the Steppe Altai (Fig. 2); from Semipalatinsk (see Figures 2, 2) and the Irtysh region (see Figures 5, 1) in Eastern Kazakhstan. All of them are very similar in the manner of execution and set of realities, except for the details. The warriors are depicted in

7. Plaques with the image of horsemen.

1, 2-Splices; 3 - Ut

The scale varies.

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Figure 8. Plaques depicting riders and horses. 1, 2-Kondratyevka IV, mound 1, mound 2; 3-Kopensky chaatas, mound 6, 4-Dunhuang.

The scale varies.

helmets of spherical shape with earflaps and nasatylnikom. On the Kondratievka plaques, a rounded plume is shown on the pommel of the helmet; on one of the Srostkinskaya plaques, a high conical pommel with a tassel is shown; on the Priirtyshskaya one, a spherical helmet without ear flaps, with a small ball-pommel and a protruding pointed nanosheet; on the Kolmakovskaya one, it is not clearly distinguished. On the Priirtysh, Kondratiev and Semipalatinsk plaques, the soldiers have a face with arched eyebrows, eyes, nose, mouth, plump cheeks and an oval chin. On the Kolmakovskaya and Srostkin plaques, it is not detailed or smoothed out from their long-term use. Warriors are depicted in pointed boots and long-skirted carapaces. The Priirtysh find shows large square plates on the entire area of the armor, including the body cover, hem and sleeves; on the Semipalatinsk plaque and on one of the Kondratiev square plates only on the breast part of the shell; on others, the shell cover is transmitted in the form of vertical stripes. Only on one of the Srostkin plaques, its details are not highlighted at all. Only the Irtysh find shows a stirrup. All the riders are depicted with both hands holding spears at the ready, with the right in the upper part, and the left in the lower part, as if left-handed. Only in one case, when the rider is shown riding a horse from left to right, he holds the spear with his left hand, and directs it with his right [Savinov, 1976, Table I, 1]. The shaft of spears is equal in length to the horse's body from ear to rump. The tips are not clearly marked. They are flat, broad, with a blunt or pointed tip. On the belt of the riders are depicted straight blades in scabbards, the lower end of which is slightly expanded, swords or broadswords. In some cases, a diamond-shaped or scaphoid crosshair and a semicircular pommel are distinguished. The horse is depicted in profile, going from right to left, and in one case - from left to right [Ibid.]. Horses are shown with a disproportionately large head with a sharp ear. Some of the plaques show their eyes, nostrils, and lips. All horses have a very short, massive neck, a tight, shortened body and short legs, with the front legs separated and the rear legs together. The most detailed Irtysh plaque shows hooves; the right front leg of the horse is bent at the knee joint, the right rear leg protrudes from behind the left. On the rest of the plaques, the hooves are not clearly marked, they resemble wide feet. Tails

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horses are shown short and fluttering. It is obvious that the horses are captured in motion. One of the Srostkin plaques has its hind legs and tail broken off. On the Irtysh and Kondratieff plaques, horses are depicted bridled: a bridle with cheek, forehead, alluvial, occipital and under-neck belts and reins is highlighted. For the rest, only the reins are transferred. At the Semipalatinsk plaque, the horse's head is broken off, but the reins are still intact. A cheprak is shown on the Irtysh find.

Type 2. Plaque with the image of an archer rider on a horse walking from left to right (see Figs. 5, 3). This type includes one find discovered in the Steppe Altai during the excavation of mound 1 at the Gilevo XII monument [Mogilnikov, 2002, p. 31]. The plaque is probably not fully preserved; the horse's legs and tail are broken off. The rider is depicted pulling the bowstring with an alert arrow. The face is shown in profile; the right eye, large nose and chin are highlighted; on the head is a peaked helmet with a barmitsa. The bow is depicted with steeply arched shoulders and curved ends. Undoubtedly, it is complex. The arrow shaft shows an elongated rhombic tip. On the right side of the rider is a quiver with a receiver extended downwards. The neck is shown over the stretched bowstring, which in reality could not be. This is probably a master error. Behind the warrior's back is a disk half the size of a human figure. The horse has a large head, short neck and lean body; on the head - a bridle with reins; on the chest and rump-chest and trophy belts, on the latter-a pendant.

The third group includes plaques with the image of horsemen-archers without disks on their backs. There are two types of them.

Type 1. Plaque with the image of an archer rider with a bow in his left hand, galloping from right to left (see Figs. 5, 4). One find from the bugrovschikov excavations "between the Ob and Irtysh Rivers"belongs to this type. The plaque was not completely preserved. The figure of a horse has its hind legs broken off. The rider's facial features, eyes and nose, are barely outlined. A peaked helmet is shown on the head. The rider is depicted with a bow in his left hand, bent at the elbow; with his right hand, he apparently holds the reins. The string of the bow is shown curved; it is probably composite. The rider's left leg is depicted disproportionately short, wearing a pointed boot. The horse has a large head, an eye, an ear, a short neck, a lean body, front legs with hooves, and a very short tail. Reins, chest and trophy belts were handed over.

Type 2. Badges with the image of horsemen shooting bows, turning back. Four finds from mounds belong to this type. 6 of the Kopensk chayatas in the Minusinsk basin (Evtyukhova, 1948, figs. 87, 88; Evtyukhova and Kiselev, 1940, p. 50). One of them has a part of the rider's figure broken off, while others have the right or left front legs of the horse. These badges are paired. Two of them depict horsemen riding from right to left, two-from left to right (see Fig. 2, 4; 8, 3). The realities shown on both plaques are somewhat different. The riders are depicted without headdresses: their long, shoulder-length hair is tied with a bandage tied in a knot. The face is shown in profile with an almond-shaped eye, prominent nose, plump cheeks and mouth. The riders are shown slightly bent down to the horse's neck and turned back, with their legs bent at the knees and their feet resting on the stirrups. Tight-fitting kaftans with long, wrist-length, narrow sleeves and a short hem above the knees are shown, the edges of which flutter in the wind; on the feet - narrow long trousers, soft boots and greaves-patch shields protecting the legs from the ankle to the knee (Evtyukhova and Kiselyov, 1940, Fig. 54). The horsemen are depicted pulling a bowstring with an arrow: those who ride from right to left hold the bowstring with their right hand, pull the string with their left, and those who ride from left to right - on the contrary. Bows are composite, arrows with rhombic tips. Badges depicting horsemen galloping from left to right show quivers with long, downward-extending receivers and narrow pockets. Horses are captured racing at full speed. They have small heads with pointed ears and short bangs, short necks with clipped manes, thick bodies, short legs with massive hooves and a knotted tail. Eyes, nostrils, and lips are shown. All horses are depicted saddled and bridled: bridles with reins and a chumbur are highlighted, saddles with a low front bow over soft caps with fur trim, stirrups with a rounded opening, chest and trophy belts with paired large tassels suspended from them; long belts flutter on both sides of the back of the saddles.

Kopensk relief plaques stand out for their increased expressiveness in the transmission of racing horses and shooting archers. Unlike other similar plaques, they were part of compositions that included a whole set of images of running animals, as well as mountains and clouds. The central part of these scenes of heroic hunting were arrows aimed at tigers. According to the reconstruction of L. A. Evtyukhova and S. V. Kiselev, such compositions decorated the front bows of saddles, and the plots conveyed the royal hunt [Ibid., p. 50].

The fourth group includes a single plaque with the image of a heavy-armed archer on foot in protective clothing, with a disk on his back (see Figs. 5, 6, 9), which is allocated to a separate type.

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Fig. 9. Plaque from Kulundinsky district.

It is found in the village of Kulundinsky in the steppe Altai. The warrior is depicted in a long-skirted carapace, soft pointed boots and a conical helmet, on the top of which there is a loop for hanging the plaque. The archer's face is not shown very clearly, but you can distinguish the eye, nose and mouth. The warrior is depicted pulling the bowstring with his left hand with an alert arrow, with his right hand he holds the string of the bow. A compound bow with arched shoulders and curved ends; an arrow with a tiered tip. An obliquely suspended quiver with a receiver extended to the bottom is also shown.

The fifth group includes plaques depicting saddled horses without riders (see Fig. 5, 5; 8, 4). They are separated into a separate type. These are six plaques from the Dunhuang Museum in China. Horses are shown in profile, walking from left to right or from right to left. Paired, oppositely oriented plaques were included in the same set. Horses are shown with a large head, a sharp ear, an almond-shaped eye, a short neck, a dense body, a long tail braided at the top and loose at the bottom, all four legs separately. One front and one hind legs are shown bent at the knee joint. Hooves are highlighted only on the hind legs, and on the front they look like feet. The horses are depicted moving at an amble pace. On the heads are shown bridles with straps and a long rein stretched to the saddle; on the back - over oval caps, small saddles with a rigid frame, front and rear bows and an oval shelf of a ribbon. Wide chest and trophy belts decorated with plaques and a narrow spring-loaded belt are depicted.

Chronology and cultural affiliation of plaques with the image of horsemen

The chronology, cultural affiliation, purpose of these plaques, and the semantics of rider images have repeatedly attracted the attention of specialists in the past. Among these ornaments are objects from fairly well-dated early medieval Sogdian cities, mounds and graves of nomadic cultures. Thus, plaques of the first type of the first group were found in the cultural layers of the Sogdian cities of Khojent and Kanki of the 7th-8th centuries, which allows us to date them to the period of the Western Turkic Khaganate [Drevnosti..., 1985, p. 327]. Yu. A. Plotnikov suggested the Central Asian origin of such ornaments. This is supported by a number of facts: the discovery of a primary bronze casting in Khojent without further refinement; the presence of a very similar, but detailed image of a horseman on the medallion of a silver bowl with a Khorezmian inscription from the Shahar treasure; a large number of similar-style images of horsemen and foot soldiers in frescoes of Central Asia and East Turkestan. Among the latter is a fresco from Samarkand depicting a noble horseman [Raspopova and Shishkina, 1999, p. 74; Tables 35, 3]. Thanks to the high accuracy in transmitting all the details of this image, it is possible to clarify the main realities shown on the bronze plaques.

The noble horseman is depicted sitting in a half-turn on horseback, with a rod in his right hand, bent at the elbow, and holding the reins with his left (Fig. A broadsword in a scabbard and a bow in a sling are drawn, suspended from the belt on the left side. On the head of the rider is shown a low cap with a flattened top - "skullcap", decorated with stripes of ornament and a rosette; on the feet - soft pointed boots. A luxurious long-skirted robe and a short cape are drawn. A cheprak bordered with an ornamental stripe is shown. The horse is depicted with a short-cropped mane, bangs, a long tail intercepted in the middle of its length; ribbons are tied on all its legs. A bridle decorated with rounded plaques and distributor tees is drawn. On the frontal belt is a conical nach sultan with a large fluffed brush; on the alluvial belt - a low sultanchik with a small fluffed brush; on the submandibular belt - a lush nauz. The back of the head, chest and trophy belts are also decorated with tassels. Researchers believe that the Samarkand mural depicts the ambassador [Ibid., p. 74]. As G. A. Pugachenkova and L. I. Tolstoy rightly pointed out in this regard. Rempel, " Sughd toreutics drew its subjects from monumental paintings and fabrics "(1982, p. 242). Murals like the one in Samarkand could serve as models for the images of mounted warriors on the plaques of the first group. You can note a great similarity in the pose of the rider sitting astride a slow-moving horse, set

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10. Image of a horseman on a Samarkand mural.

weapons and equipment, horse decoration. On the bronze plaques are transferred naluchye, suspended from the belt from the left side. Since the riders are shown on the right side, only the upper end of the lance is visible, protruding from behind the rider. On a large Minusinsk plaque, the rider is depicted in a skullcap, similar to the headdress of the Samarkand "ambassador". All plaques show a cheprak, sometimes with a dedicated border around the edge. The hanging tassels of breast and trophy belts, nach sultans and nauzes depicted on these objects are very similar to the harness decorations painted on the Samarkand mural. In Sughd and East Turkestan frescoes, there are analogies of images of robes with triangular lapels on the chest of horsemen on bronze plaques from the Minusinsk Museum, Chacha and Dulen. All this gives grounds to agree with the opinion that the initial samples of plaques of the first type of the first group were made in Sogdian craft centers, taking into account the tastes of the ancient Turkic nobility. The products of Central Asian craftsmen can be considered Khojentsky billets, Chach and Chikoy plaques. The last one shows long loose hair and long The moustache is an ancient Turkic characteristic feature of Sughd painting. Among the South Siberian finds, a large Minusinsk plaque may be of Central Asian origin. A horizontal stripe connecting the tail and hooves of the horse image is a relatively late sign. Such bands have two Minusinsk, Gobi and Birsk plaques. Gobiyskaya and Malaya Minusinskaya differ in their schematic representation, and they can be considered a local imitation of the original prototype. The Gobi and Bira plaques of the riders show an ancient Turkic hairstyle, and the second one shows a long mustache. This allows us to attribute the distribution of plaques of the first and second types of the first group to the time of the First Turkic and Western Turkic Khaganates, VI-VII centuries. Specialists in medieval archeology of the Southern Urals dated the Birskaya find to the 8th century. Burial, not plaque making, dates back to this time (Mazhitov and Sultanova, 1994, p. 113). The fact that the tradition of using such plaques appeared in the period of the First Turkic Khaganate is supported by the vast territory of their distribution from Transbaikalia to the Southern Urals. Never in the subsequent era of the early Middle Ages was it part of a single nomadic state. These ornaments enjoyed a certain popularity in the ancient Turkic environment, so both local ancient Turkic and Kyrgyz master casters tried to make them. Such artisanal copies include the Gobi plaque, which reproduces a sample like the Chikoy or Birsky one, and the small Minusinskaya plaque, made in imitation of the large Minusinskaya one.

Plaques depicting armored horsemen with a disk on their backs represent a different pictorial tradition. Probably, they should have been used in pairs, as evidenced by finds from the Kimak children's burial at the Kondratyevka monument. Somewhat unusually, there were two identical plaques on the children's headdress that were oriented in the same direction. More natural would be their symmetrical arrangement, in which the figures are deployed in opposite directions or towards each other.

The considered various types of plaques with the image of armored horsemen with disks on their backs were found in the territory of the distribution of the Yenisei Kyrgyz and Kimak cultures and were characteristic of their toreutics in the IX-X centuries. It is quite possible that the tradition of using figurines of warriors as pendants dates back to the ancient Turkic culture. However, the direct prototype for the plaques under consideration was not the ancient Turkic pendants, but the images of armored horsemen in the frescoes of East Turkestan. According to some scholars, the warriors depicted on such amulets could be associated with images of defenders of the true faith, holy warriors, which was typical of Manichaeism and Buddhism [Alyokhin, 1998]. In the Sayano-Altai region tradition

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images of warriors on metal ornaments could have penetrated into the IX century after the campaigns of Kyrgyz troops in East Turkestan and the acquaintance of the Kyrgyz nobility with these religions. The Kimaks might have learned it from the Kyrgyz. The disk behind the head and shoulders of the warrior figure quite realistically transmitted the shield in a marching position, thrown back on a belt behind the back, while both hands of the spearman were used to hold the spear. Therefore, some disks are very large: a shield is shown that covers the warrior from the pommel of the helmet to the waist.

Plaques depicting galloping horsemen-archers shooting with their backs turned, as was convincingly shown by L. A. Evtyukhova and S. V. Kiselyov, convey scenes of heroic or royal hunting that go back to the toreutics of Sassanid Iran. However, the Yenisei Kyrgyz took this story not directly from Iran, but from the art of Tang China, as evidenced by the details of the design of mountains and clouds on Kopen reliefs [Evtyukhova, 1948, p.51]. It is not typical for the toreutics of the ancient Turks. But scenes of heroic hunting are known on ancient Turkic petroglyphs and engravings on saddle bone plates from the Kudyrge burial ground in Gorny Altai (Gavrilova, 1965, p. 35). This plot is not represented in the Kimak cultural monuments. However, in the Kimak complexes there are bronze plaques with the image of horsemen-archers, which can be considered a simplified interpretation of the epic hero-hunter [Mogilnikov, 2002, p. 31].

Among the objects of Kyrgyz culture of the "great power" era of the IX-X centuries in East Turkestan may include Dunhuang plaques depicting bridled and saddled horses [Khudyakov, 1996, p. 185]. According to the features of the profile figures of horses and horse decoration, they are noticeably different from similar plaques of the ancient Turkic period, but they have similar elements with Kyrgyz and Kimak pendants. Probably, the images of horses, as well as armored riders, were paired, since among them there are absolutely identical figures oriented in opposite directions.

Conclusion

The appearance of bronze plaques with the image of horsemen as part of the subject complex of the culture of the ancient Turks is one of the manifestations of the Turkic-Sogdian cultural symbiosis, which was expressed in the perception of the Sogdian pictorial plot by the Turks and the use as decoration of their favorite images of warriors, which Sogdian masters began to design in accordance with the tastes of the Turkic nomadic nobility. Over time, such plaques began to be cast by ancient Turkic masters. Probably, under the influence of the ancient Turks, such jewelry became widespread among the Yenisei Kyrgyz and Kimaks. Similarly, the Kyrgyz people mastered and reworked the Iranian story of the heroic hunt, borrowed through the Chinese. By the time of its spread on the Yenisei, it had actually become Trans-Asian. The image of the armored horseman was adopted by the Kyrgyz during the era of "great power" in East Turkestan, but this story was most widely used among the Kimaks. For medieval nomads, the image of a mounted warrior and hunter was quite understandable and attractive, meeting the military-druzhinny life ideal.

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The article was submitted to the Editorial Board on 27.07.07.

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