Archaeology, Ethnology & Anthropology of Eurasia 50 (3) 2022   doi:10.17746/1563-0110.2022.50.3.103-112

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Chinese Coins from the Early Medieval Cemetery Gorny-10,
Northern Altai

N.N. Seregin¹, V.V. Tishin², and N.F. Stepanova³

¹Altai State University, Pr. Lenina 61, Barnaul, 656049, Russia

²Institute for Mongolian, Buddhist and Tibetan Studies, Siberian Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Sakhyanovoy 6, Ulan-Ude, 670047, Russia

³Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography, Siberian Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Pr. Akademika Lavrentieva 17, Novosibirsk, 630090, Russia

We describe a representative series of Chinese coins found during the excavations at Gorny-10, carried out by expeditions from Altai State University in 2000-2003. The coins were found in eight burials (No. 6, 18, 44-46, 48, 62, 66). Because of its composition and diversity, the sample is unusual for North and Inner Asia. It includes 29 specimens, relating to various groups. Apart from coins of the Wu-zhu and Kai-yuan Tong-bao types, which are rather common outside China, there are very rare ones belonging to the Chang-ping Wu-zhu and Wu-xing Da-bu categories. A numismatic analysis allowed us to date separate burials and the entire cemetery. The lower date of most burials (No. 6, 45, 46, 48, 62, 66) cannot be earlier than AD 581, as evidenced by Sui coins of the Wu-zhu type. Burials 18 and 41, where Kai-yuan Tong-bao coins were found, are later than the 630s. In view of additional data (absence of late issues of Kai-yuan Tong-bao coins, and results of radiocarbon analysis), burials at Gorny-10 date to late 6th and 7th centuries. Notably, coins were found only in burials of women and children. Their locations suggest that they had been used as head ornaments and parts of belt sets, as well as pendants and amulets.

Keywords: Chinese coins, cemeteries, Northern Altai, Early Middle Ages, chronology, social history