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«BULLETIN OF THE IRKUTSK STATE UNIVERSITY. GEOARCHAEOLOGY, ETHNOLOGY, AND ANTHROPOLOGY SERIES»
ISSN 2227-2380 (Print)

List of issues > «Geoarchaeology, Ethnology, and Anthropology Series». 2025. Vol 53

Archaic Elements of the Worldview of Inhabitants of Medieval Cities of Southern Kazakhstan on the Example of Images of a Ram on Ceramic Items

Full text (russian)
Author(s)

K. Yu. Markova

Kemerovo State University, Kemerovo, Russian Federation

Abstract
This article examines the tradition of depicting rams on ceramics from the cities of Southern Kazakhstan, dating back to the 7th–13th centuries. Despite the diverse ethnopolitical character of the Zhetysu and Southern Kazakhstan regions, which persisted throughout Antiquity and the Middle Ages, as well as frequent changes in state religions, some visual motifs, in particular the image of a ram, remained stable (traditional). Since the first excavations in Semirechye and Southern Kazakhstan, researchers have collected a huge amount of archaeological material, allowing them to study ceramics with animal images. It has been established that the majority of zoomorphic images from this period depict rams: out of 124 items with animals, 77 contain images of rams, representing ten different species. This raises an interesting question: what did this animal mean to the people of Southern Kazakhstan? And what role did this play in their rituals, art, and daily life – not only in ancient times, but also among the modern peoples of Central Asia? During the study, ceramic items were systematized according to the methods of image reproduction (plasticity, pattern), chronology of production and functional purpose. The items were studied in two chronological groups (7th–11th centuries and 12th–13th centuries) and classified into eight types depending on their functional purpose. As a result, a transformation in the visual tradition was revealed with a transition from the schematization of entire images to motifs. In the early period, rams were depicted more realistically; in later items, their depiction was often reduced to stylized horns or simplified forms. Sometimes, instead of whole animals, only parts of them are depicted, for example, horns, using Sshaped elements or cone-shaped overlays with vertical dotted lines, which can symbolize solar symbols or be relate to Farnar, an Avestan deity associated with light and warmth. Farnare was often depicted as a falcon or a ram. Ethnographic data on the Kazakh and Kyrgyz people highlight the importance of this animal in their worldview and rituals, performing protective functions or, as was believed, attracting wealth and promoting harmony in the universe.
About the Authors
Markova Kristina Yurievna, Senior Lecturer, Department of Theory and Methods of Teaching Humanities, Kemerovo State University; 6, Krasnaya st., Kemerovo, 650000, Russian Federation e-mail: korobkova9@m
For citation
Markova K. Yu. Archaic Elements of the Worldview of Inhabitants of Medieval Cities of Southern Kazakhstan on the Example of Images of a Ram on Ceramic Items. Bulletin of the Irkutsk State University. Geoarchaeology, Ethnology, and Anthropology Series. 2025, Vol. 53, pp. 3–15. https://doi.org/10.26516/2227-2380.2025.53.3 (In Russ.)
Keywords
image of a ram, ceramics, medieval cities, Southern Kazakhstan, worldview, rituals, traditions, rules of etiquette.
UDC
902:904(574.5)
DOI
https://doi.org/10.26516/2227-2380.2025.53.3
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