The Symbols of the Axe in Socio-Religious Practice among the Population of the Late Bronze Age of South Transurals Cover Image
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Символы топора в социально-культовой практике у населения позднего бронзового века Южного Зауралья
The Symbols of the Axe in Socio-Religious Practice among the Population of the Late Bronze Age of South Transurals

Author(s): Nikolai B. Vinogradov
Subject(s): History, Archaeology, Cultural history, Ancient World
Published by: Издательский дом Stratum, Университет «Высшая антропологическая школа»
Keywords: South Transurals; Late Bronze Age; socio-religious practice; stone axes; Kabarda-Pyatigorsk type;metal production;

Summary/Abstract: The article examines a representative series of stone axes-hammers of the Kabarda-Pyatigorsk type and their miniature replicas from the South Transurals and the neighbouring regions. These axe-hammers and their stone and ceramic miniature replicas are identified by the author as the material reflection of the socio-religious practices of the population of the southern Urals Late Bronze Age. At the same time, there is no evidence to support the idea that the axes of this type were weapons of war and/or tokens of the fact that the buried belonged to the military. It is most probable that this axe type was used in religious practices connected with metal-working. The author puts forward the idea that the axes of this type were connected with the cult of a deity or a hero smith similar to the Tvashtar of the Vedic pantheon. Such axes do not have any local prototypes and were most probably borrowed from the North Caucasus region.

  • Issue Year: 2018
  • Issue No: 2
  • Page Range: 273-282
  • Page Count: 10
  • Language: Russian