Archaeology, Ethnology & Anthropology of Eurasia 37 (1) 2009

Annotation:  Environment and Human Behavior in Northern Mongolia during the Upper Pleistocene Bear in Mind: Bear Hunting in the Mesolithic of the Southern Caucasus L.B. Kirtcho. Two Bronze Age Steles in Gorny Altai Electron Probe Microanalysis of the Paste from Ceramics of the Far East Eurasian Coins of the 13th century from the Northern Caucasus Absolute Dendrochronological Scales of Archaeological Sites in European Russia A Dendrochronological Analysis of Wood from Pskov Dendrochronological Studies of Medieval Novgorod (Based on the Findings of Archaeological Excavatio On the Semantics of Animal Style Ornithomorphic Images in Pazyryk Ritual Artifacts Treasures of the Sacred River Everyday Diet of the Buryats in the Late 19th and Early 20th Centuries The Ethnic Environment of Diasporas in Western Siberia Demography of the Siberian Nenets in the First Third of the 20th Century Modern Altai Crafts Human Crania from the Tes Burial Ground, Kamenka III: The Analysis of Metric and Nonmetric Traits Analysis of Temporal Anthropometric Changes in Various Groups of Israeli Males The International Conference on the Neolithic of the Sea of Japan Basin (Vladivostok, 17–18 March, 2   

On the Semantics of Animal Style Ornithomorphic Images in Pazyryk Ritual Artifacts

D.V. Cheremisin.

The paper focuses on animal style images and compositions in Pazyryk art. An attempt is made to reconstruct the semantics of certain images, proceeding from the assumption that art is a special language used to express perceptions of the Universe. The mythical griffi n is the most popular fi gure in Pazyryk art, suggesting that the Pazyryk people may be identifi ed with the “griffi ns guarding gold,” mentioned by Aristeas and Herodotus. The griffi n image is interpreted in the context of Pazyryk ritual grave goods and specifi cally in griffon – horse predatory scenes represented in the attire of the sacrifi cial horses that accompanied the deceased to their tombs. The same mythical predation scene, believed to bring good luck, is mentioned in the descriptions of Scythia given by Classical historians and geographers. The realistic image of a bird (probably the demoiselle – Anthropoides virgo – inhabiting the alpine steppes of the Altai) decorated the tops of Pazyryk ceremonial headwear. This image also appears in mythological belief. Its interpretation is suggested, relating the meaning of the bird image and the symbolism of Pazyryk headwear to Indo-European and Uralic mythology.

Keywords: The paper focuses on animal style images and compositions in Pazyryk art. An attempt is made to reconstruct the semantics of certain images, proceeding from the assumption that art is a special language used to express perceptions of the Universe. The mythical griffi n is the most popular fi gure in Pazyryk art, suggesting that the Pazyryk people may be identifi ed with the “griffi ns guarding gold,” mentioned by Aristeas and Herodotus. The griffi n image is interpreted in the context of Pazyryk ritual grave goods and specifi cally in griffon – horse predatory scenes represented in the attire of the sacrifi cial horses that accompanied the deceased to their tombs. The same mythical predation scene, believed to bring good luck, is mentioned in the descriptions of Scythia given by Classical historians and geographers. The realistic image of a bird (probably the demoiselle – Anthropoides virgo – inhabiting the alpine steppes of the Altai) decorated the tops of Pazyryk ceremonial headwear. This image also appears in mythological belief. Its interpretation is suggested, relating the meaning of the bird image and the symbolism of Pazyryk headwear to Indo-European and Uralic mythology.