DAGGER WITH TWO-EDGED BLADE FROM THE TALAS VALLEY OF KYRGYZSTAN
YU.S. HUDYAKOV1,2, A.YU. BORISENKO2
1Insitute of Archaeology and Ethnography SB RAS, 17, Ak. Lavrentiev str., Novosibirsk, 630090, Russian Federation
2Novosibirsk State University, 1 Pirogov str., Novosibirsk, 630090, Russian Federation
Keywords: железный кинжал, оружейная коллекция, Таласская долина, музей "Манас Ордо", Тянь-Шань, Кыргызстан, iron dagger, weapons collection, Talas Valley, "Manas Ordo" museum, Tian Shan, Kyrgyzstan
Abstract
Among the complex of armament objects of ancient and medieval nomadic warriors in the territory of Tian Shan and Semirechie including the Talas Valley, a definite part of hand-to-hand and close combat objects of armament belonged to iron two-edged daggers. The article analyzes quite a rare finding of iron dagger with unusual two-edged blade in section, that is kept at the present time as a part of archaeological collection of «Manas Ordo» national museum complex created in honour of the Kyrgyz people heroic epos and its lead heroic character, distinguished warlord and baghatur Manas. The museum complex is situated in the Tash-Aryk village, the Talas Valley, the Kyrgyz Republic. In scientific literature there is information about similar archaeological findings related to objects of short blade weapons. These findings include short swords-acinaces whose blades have similar design characteristics. They were in armaments of the ancient Sacae nomads inhabited mountain and steppe regions of Central Asia during historical period of the Early Iron Ages. In previous decades, the Sacae swords-acinaces were detected by domestic archaeologists during burial mound excavations of the Sacae in the Pamir Mountains. The Sacae swords-acinaces had metallic predominantly iron straight two-edged short blades, that were intended for targeting jabbing motions against adversaries during hand-to-hand and close combats. Quite possibly, that dagger with straight two-edged blade from the Talas Valley of the Kyrgyz Republic in «Manas Ordo» museum,s archaeological findings collection is originated in some archaeological monuments of the Sacae nomad ancient culture of the Early Iron Age located in this territory, where there are many ancient burial mounds and settlements, tupical of this cultural commonality of early nomads. Daggers of such construction with straight two-edged blades can be related to chronological period of the Early Iron Age. This rare finding could be included in the archaeological collection of «Manas Ordo» museum complex as a result of its quite good conservation of metal it was made of.
|
