Here we have put together all objects and reconstructed artifacts that can either be assigned directly to any representation or belong to the storage accessories.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Serving plates from Pazyryk (Pazyryk, wood and paint, 4th / 3rd century BC)
Nomadism requires everyday objects adapted to the mobile lifestyle. This becomes particularly clear with wooden dismountable serving plates, which had the function of small tables. They were designed so that you could remove the legs of the table and so easily assembled and disassembled. There are many finds of these pieces of furniture in nomadic tombs where wood has been preserved.

read on ...

A very nice example of such a table comes from Pazyryk II in the Altai Mountains. His four legs were worked in the form of big cats, which stretched out to the table top. In the tomb several tables with this look were found. As with other tables from Pazyryk, remnants of cinnabar and tin foil were detectable on the wood, which is why we opted for a painted reconstruction. The patterns are borrowed from Pazyryk parallel finds.

Rudenko 1970: 65-68; Pl. 50A / B.

 


Serving plate from Xinjiang (Sampula, wood and color, Han period 206 BC – 220 AD)
Wooden plates were also common among the nomads of the Tarim Basin. This specimen has only three legs, which could be removed for transport. While searching, the bones of the food ingredients that were put into the grave were still lying on the serving platter.

read on ...

Since traces of red paint are often found on wood finds from nomadic context, we have decided for a colored reconstruction.

Wieczorek and Lind (2007): 221.


Felt wall hanging from Pazyryk I (Pazyryk, wool felt, 4th / 3rd century BCE)
In various burial chambers from Pazyryk wall hangings made of felt were found, which had colorful motifs. Perhaps the dwellings of the Altai nomads were decorated with such hangings.

read on ...


One of these hangings comes from Pazyryk I and consisted of a narrow felt base, on which three strips of thinner felt were sewn. The middle, white stripes were decorated with red and blue lion heads made of thin felt. It was hemmed by a red border, on which thin triangular felt applications in white, yellow, red and blue were sewn. The hangings had been hung with wooden and copper nails on the wall of the burial chamber.
We have made a replica of this double curtain for our canopy, as there is a legitimate assumption that the felt trimmings were also used in the daily life of nomads and not just for the funeral rite.

Rudenko 1970: 31f; Pl. 148A.
Sembach and Haeseler 1984: 184.


Swans from Pazyryk 5 (Pazyryk, felt and wood, 4th / 3rd century BC)
In the burial chamber of Pazyryk 5, four swans of different colored felt and a filling of moss were found. What kind of function these detailed bird figurines once fulfilled is unclear.

read on ...

Based on their finding position, however, it can be assumed that they either graced the poles of a death tent or a parade wagon attached to the grave in a disassembled state.

Rudenko 1970: 192.
Sembach and Haeseler 1984: 216f.

 


Wagon-toy  (Kerch in the Crimea, clay, 1st-2nd century AD)
Small miniatures of such wagons appear again and again in nomadic graves, especially those of children. They show how one must imagine the dwellings of the nomads of which ancient writers report.

read on ...

In addition to tents or yurts, these caravans pulled by oxen were probably the main habitation of the ancient nomads.

Seipel, W. (ed.) (2009): Gold of the Steppe. Treasures beyond the Alexander empire, 289.

 

 


Draco standard (Niederbieber, copper, silk, gold and tin, 260 AD)
Equestrian standards served as a military order instrument in cavalry units. At first they were used by the cavalry nomads. Through the contact of Rome with the equestrian warriors on the eastern border of the Roman Empire, they first adopted the principle of mounted warfare and then equestrian standards like this one.

read on ...


This specimen was found in Niederbieber and comes from the once existing fort, which was 260 forcibly destroyed. The standard fell into a pit filling, so that this unique to date find of a dragon standard, on which there are only written and image sources, has been preserved.
The dragon’s head is made of sheet copper, fire-gilt in the upper part (we used gold leaf) and tinned in the lower part. At the back of the standard was once a hose made of lightweight fabric (probably silk) attached, which fluttered in the wind or gallop impressive in the wind.

Vorzeiten. 70 years State Archeology Rhineland-Palatinate (2017): 180-183.


Horn cup
For the production of everyday commodities, cattle nomads used the raw materials they got from their herds. Therefore, many objects are made of bone, horn or antler. So also drinking vessels such as such Horncups, which consisted of sawed off cattle horns. weiterlesen...

A horn plate was clamped in the ground to make the vessels waterproof. Such vessels were found in Pazyryk, Olon-Kurin-Gol and Ak-Alacha 3.

Wieczorek and Lind 2007: 157.
http://hermitagemuseum.com/wps/portal/hermitage/digital-collection/25.+archaeological+artifacts/879947 (last accessed on 10/20/2017)
Parzinger (2006): 601.