Dagger of the early Saka period from the Southern Trans-Urals

Abstract

This article describes the bronze dagger hilt, which was found on the right bank of the Miass
river near the village Gorshkovo (Kurgan oblast’ (Southern Trans-Urals)). The dagger hilt is framed in zoomorphic style. The duplicate images of the bird of prey heads (or the upper part of the ibex trunk) form ornament looks like a wave. The authors date this dagger by VII — the beginning of VI cent. BC, and include it in the group of the Nurmambet daggers type. This type of daggers characterizes the early nomads culture of the Central Eurasia steppes in early Saka period. However, the metal composition of handle is similar the metal composition being smelted by the Trans-Urals Itkil’ metallurgists. The find is an evidence of the export of copper from the forest-steppe Trans-Urals to the South Urals steppe in the early Saka time. The steppe nomads had established the control over metallurgists of the Itkul’ culture occupying the western part of Southern Trans-Urals steppe in VII cent. BC. At the later time the population of this region was becoming the main supplier of copper to the Southern Urals steppe