On Interpretation of Kočidyk-Crutches Used by the Population of the Upper Ob River Region in the Early Iron Age

Abstract

Purpose. The work is devoted to functional, ceremonial and cultural-historical interpretation of the so-called kočidyk crutches often found at the sites belonging to various cultures of the steppe belt of Eurasia and popular during the Early Iron Age. The aim of our study is to describe different interpretations of this group of finds. We considered the accumulated historiographical experience and also tried to model experimentally the functional use of the artifacts analyzed. The scientific novelty of the study lies in the possibility of referring to these materials from the point of view of the hypothesis of multiculturalism. We discuss a number of variants how to reconstruct the functional use of this category of finds. In particular, the crutches considered could have been used as suspensions and as belt fasteners. Results. We noticed that regardless of the sex of the buried people, the location of the crutches in graves is the same, i. e. they are found on the right or left side, at least two on the femur or pelvic bones of the skeleton if the buried person had a belt and it was buttoned, and on the chest, knees or feet, if the belt was unbuttoned and was lying along the body. The crutches can either be a part of the complex, or the only element of the waist fittings that indirectly points to a certain self-sufficiency of crutches as a part of the burial shroud. There are controversial interpretations of the ceremonial meaning of the artifacts. Based on the hypothesis of multiculturalism of the population of the Upper Ob River region during the Early Iron Age, we provide some new cultural and historical interpretations of the crutches. A variety of types of crutches confirms the assumption that within the existence of the subject complex of clothing worn by the population of the Upper Ob River region in the second half of the I Millennium BC, there were clear signs of innovations. Conclusion. Studying the range of issues associated with the interpretation of crutches remains a relevant and promising task in archaeological research. Further accumulation of material and its understanding in a broader rather than narrow territorial context might allow us to identify the centers of distribution of certain types of crutches and the processes of their trans cultural incorporation into the traditional use by the population of the Upper Ob River region in the Early Iron Age.