Iskakov Kuanysh

Scopus Publications

Legends about Fiery Horses: Succession of Funerary and Memorial Traditions in the Eurasian’s Nomadic Peoples Cultures

Grave Goods of an Elite Saka Burial at Kyrykoba in the Context of Cultural Ties Between the Nomads of Kazakhstan and Siberia
K. A. Iskakov, U. U. Umitkaliev, and O. A. Mitko
Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography SB RAS
This article describes the findings of excavations of an Early Saka kurgan at Kyrykoba, Eastern Kazakhstan. The kurgan had been looted; human remains, according to physical anthropologists, belonged to a mature woman. Her cranium exhibited trepanation. Some 200 artifacts were found, mostly gold and stone ornaments (belt clips, gold seed beads, and simple beads). The most interesting find is a bimetallic pin made of iron. Its rod is missing; the tiny head, less the 1 cm in diameter, is covered with gold foil. On its surface, there is a figure of an ungulate with a curved antler, its body twisted 180°. This stylistic device in the depiction of ungulates and predators is typical of the Scythian-Siberian art of Kazakhstan and Western Siberia in 700–300 BC. Other rare finds include ornaments made from a cretaceous layer of oyster shells, such as pendants shaped as oval plates imitating tusks, or figurines of predatory animals— 20 pieces, ranging in size from 0.4 × 0.4 to 2.5 × 2.5 cm. Oyster shells with thick cretaceous layers had been procured from the coasts of the Indian Ocean and the Persian Gulf. The beads and the animal figurine made from cretaceous layers of oyster shells are paralleled by those from an Early Scythian era burial at Gilevo-10, Altai. These artifacts indicate regional and intracontinental trade and cultural ties in Eastern Kazakhstan and Western Siberia, evidenced by similar technological traditions, images, compositions, and decorative motifs.

Preliminary Preservation of the Bodies of the Deceased in the Funeral Rites of Kazakhs (Based on the Materials of Archaeological, Historical and Folklore-Literary Sources)
K. A. Iskakov, U. U. Umitkaliev, D. T. Tleugabulov, and A. T. Dukombaiev
Novosibirsk State University (NSU)
Purpose. The authors tried to reveal the reasons, duration and place of temporary preservation of the bodies of the Kazakhs on the basis of archaeological, historical and folklore-literary sources. The authors also tried to trace the historical continuity in the funeral and memorial rites of nomads.Results. The tradition of delayed burials is associated with the natural conditions and economic cycle of nomads. Based on ethnographic data, the authors analyze various options for preserving the body before burial. According to it, the practice of performing deferred burials originates from the period of early nomads of the Eurasian steppes. Archaeological materials contain evidence of the usage of deferred burials of notable individuals among the Turks. The article also discusses the special veneration of ancestors, which can also be traced in the funeral rites of early nomads. The large burial mounds were build in their honor, and they were buried in clothes adorned with gold, with a large quantity of supporting equipment. The funeral and memorial rites of the nomadic Kazakh people also include the veneration of ancestral spirits. They tried to bury their khans, batyrs and biys in the mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi. And to do this, they had to temporarily bury the body and save it until burial.Conclusion. Islam brought changes in the funeral rites of the steppe population. However, the Kazakh people tried to preserve the traditions that do not contradict the Sharia, in some cases without changes, in others, some customs were transformed in accordance with the norms and teachings of Islam. The Kazakhs managed to unite the two worlds, and for a life of peace and prosperity, with the blessing of aruakh, arranged memorial dinners on the third, seventh, fortieth day, the annual “as”, sacrifices, but in many traditions and customs, the reading of prayers from the Koran was introduced.