Purpose. Development of electronic educational resources in the humanitarian environment of higher school is an urgent problem of modern education. The aim of our work is to systematize didactic forms and approaches to the development of e-learning resources as exemplified by the interactive educational and methodological complex “Prehistoric Art of Siberia and the Far East”. Results. We describe models of electronic tutorials in terms of a modern direction, development of interactive teaching complexes. An original proprietary information system “Prehistoric Art of Siberia and the Far East” (mobileart.artemiris.org) contains information on the monuments of the Paleolithic age of Siberia, which is presented in a systematic way. Objects of the Siberian Paleolithic collections are attributed, provided with a scientific description, photographs, macro, three-dimensional models and a list of references. Conclusion. Modern education at the university supposes a wide usage of information technology. Interactive educational and methodological complexes today can fully satisfy this need. 3D technology proposed for presenting archaeological materials not only provides effective illustrations of the context, but also implements a new, more sophisticated methodology for studying historical and cultural heritage. Enhanced capabilities of working with a virtual model of archaeological objects allow researchers and students to get more information remotely, which reduces the anthropogenic load on the object under study. The complex developed implies non-contact processing of museum exhibits with varying degrees of damage, using computer simulation techniques for the pre-excavation state of reconstruction, provides an opportunity to restore badly damaged or even gone objects and to preserve the model shape with a possibility of subsequent replication. All of the above forces us to open a new course in the educational programs for archaeology students. It is assumed that this educational segment will find its place in the new Federal State Educational Standard and will contribute to the formation of the competencies of a modern specialist.

Purpose. At the beginning of the 21^st century, Russian-Korean archaeological expeditions studied two Neolithic sites (Novopetrovka-III, Gromatukha), settlements from the Early Iron Age to the Early Middle Ages (Ozero Dolgoe), and Early Medieval objects (Troitsky cemetery, Osinovoe Ozero) in the Amur Region. In addition to the excavations, the staff of the Institute of Archeology and Ethnography, the Jeju-do Culture and Art Foundation and the State Research Institute for Cultural Heritage of the Republic of Korea worked on the materials and published articles and four monographs. The main purpose of the joint work was to compare the materials of the Initial and Early Neolithic in the Western Amur Region and the Republic of Korea, and those of the time of the Mohe-Bohai colonization on this territory during the Early Middle Ages. Results. It has been established that Novopetrovka III is dated 8610-9240 years ago. On Gromatukha, finds from layer 3 belong to 16260-8010, from layer 2 to 12820-6740, from layer 1, including the dwelling of the Osinoozerskaya culture, to 4080-3680 years ago. The earliest stage of settling terraces on the shore of Lake Dolgoe is marked with artifacts of the Novopetrovskaya culture. The Early Iron Age is associated with the Urilskaya culture; the dwellings belong to the Talakanskaya (no. 31) and Mikhailovskaya cultures (No. 32). The funeral inventory from the graves of the Troitsky cemetery, which was excavated in 2007 and belongs to the last quarter of the 8^th - first half of the 9^th century, was deliberately damaged. Observations on the burned wooden structures in the graves showed that they were burned immediately after they were placed in the graves, but before the bones and belongings were buried. The peculiarity of the material from dwelling 2 (9^th century) at Osinovoe Ozero is the presence of the Troitsky type ceramics, where fragments of easel and pottery utensils had been made on a pottery wheel. A similar combination of ceramic tableware in the dwellings of the Troitskaya group of Mohe was found in the Amur region for the first time. Conclusion. The international Russian-Korean research in the Amur region has led to the intensification of excavation work. It increased the interest of foreign colleagues to the issues of the settlement and ethnocultural history of the population of Eastern Asia in the Early Neolithic and Early Middle Ages in all the regions including the Amur region.

Purpose. Kunstkamera of the Imperial Academy of Sciences in St. Petersburg is often named the “cradle of sciences” in Russia, and it includes a rich ethnographic material. The museum collections were both a source of admiration for a wide audience and a knowledge-building resource for professional researchers. The objective of the article is to reveal the stages of gathering the collections as a process of knowledge evolution starting from separate rare items to systematic collections on the traditional culture of different peoples of the Russian Empire. Results. We analyzed materials on the principles of ethnographic collection gathering used by the physician Daniel Goettlib Messerschmidt during his expedition to Siberia (1719-1727) and the research activity of the Academic team during the second Kamchatka expedition (1733-1743). Archival documents which show the logic of filed data gathering, including artefacts of traditional culture, are published. Conclusion. History of the Kunstkamera’s ethnographic collections reflects the development of ethnographic knowledge from a traveler’s interest in unique rare and curios items of traditional culture to the source for comparative analysis of history and culture of peoples.

Purpose. Archaeological findings on the western Caspian coast indicate that this part of the Caucasus was populated throughout the Pleistocene. The earliest human habitation in the region is dated back to around 2 million years ago (2 Ма), which corresponds to the period of initial expansion of early Homo beyond Africa. Information on the environment and the features of the early human material culture is crucial for our understanding of the Caucasus’ earliest history. It was alternating processes of transgression and regression of the Caspian Sea throughout the Pleistocene that determined the paleoenvironment in the eastern Caucasus. The Early Pleistocene landscape of the southeastern part of Eastern Europe and northeastern Caucasus was similar to African open landscapes nowadays. The Khapry faunal complex characterizes the environment of that period. Its vertebrate composition is close to that typical for African savanna. Both animal communities included similar types of large herbivores: the elephant, rhinoceros, antelope, giraffe, ostrich and others. The African savanna carnivore community included the lion, guepard, hyena and jakal. The Khapry complex included the hyena, large sabre toothed Felidae, guepard and others. The earliest artifact collections in the Northeastern Caucasus are the artifact assemblage from stratum 5 at Rubas-1 in southeastern Dagestan and the archaeological materials from Ainikab-1, Mukhai-1 and 2 in Central Dagestan. The artifact age has been estimated in the range of ~ 2.3-1.8 Ma. Results. The initial stage of human habitation of the Northeastern Caucasus is characterized by two distinct lithic industries: the small tool industry (Rubas-1, stratum 5) and the Oldowan / pebble-flake industry (the Akushinski group of sites). Early human populations dispersed rather rapidly over the low-altitude savannas in the relative proximity to the seashore under the favorable environmental conditions of the initial Pleistocene. After the initial peopling stage, human communities set apart in particular regions where lithic industries were formed and developed. The first major region represents the Caspian shores (the small tool industry: Rubas-1); the second zone is the higher plateaus at the altitude not exceeding 1 500 m asl (pebble-flake industry: Dmanisi, Central Dagestan sites). Conclusion. It is asserted that the early human populations migrating out of Africa through Western Asia to the Caucasus, and its eastern part in particular, remained in the habitual environment, and it did not require any substantial changes in the adaptation strategies including stone working techniques and lithic tool production.

Purpose. The study of the Paleolithic in Vietnam was undertaken by French geologists in the early 20^th century. During the first quarter of the century, they studied Neolithic cultures of Hoa Binh and Bac Son. In the 1960s, the study of the Paleolithic was conducted by Vietnamese archaeologists. They discovered a more ancient culture of the late Paleolithic, the Son Vi (or Sonvian) Culture. Despite the discoveries made, the issues of the origin of these cultures, their development and continuity are still disputable. In this respect, excavating Con Moong Cave in the central province of Thanh Hoa, which is a multilayer cave and a unique archaeological complex belonging to the era of the final Pleistocene - early Holocene, provides us with the most valuable material on the development of ancient Vietnamese. Results. According to the results of excavations, as well as subsequent studies of the Russian-Vietnamese expedition in 2010-2014, there were three main cultural and chronological periods identified in the cave. The deposits reflecting the earliest period, such as choppers and animal bones with traces of processing, belong to the Son Vi culture and date back to the Paleolithic time. C¹⁴-dates obtained from several shells indicate the period from 11 000 to 15 300 years ago. The second cultural unit contains almond-shaped and disc-shaped Sumatra-type tools, short and long axes, bone tips and scraped shells, which are characteristic of the Hoa Binh culture. This layer contains graves with stone tools, oyster shells and ochre and is dated 9 300 to 12 000 years ago. The deposits of the third cultural layer contain stone tools typical for the late paleolitic Hoabinhian and early neolitic Bacsonian sites. C¹⁴-dates from the third cultural period belong to the range from 8 500 to 9 200 years ago. Along with the radiocarbon dating method used, palynological analysis, fauna remains analysis and analysis of the anthropological material were carried out. Conclusion. Based on C¹⁴ dates, it is assumed that the residents Con Moong cave lived there for 8 000 years, from 16 000 to 8 000 years ago. At the moment, the earliest deposits found are artifacts of the Son Vi culture, which belongs to the upper Paleolithic period. They are followed by the materials of the early Hoabinhian and Bacsonian cultures.

Purpose. The article introduces and analyzes in detail the materials of the Bronze Age from the vicinity of Lake Lop Nor (Xinjiang, China), which are stored in the funds of the National Museum of Korea. The artifacts were obtained by the expedition to Xinjiang under the general guidance of the Japanese explorer and religious public figure, count Otani Kodzui. They are part of a special section of the famous “Otani Collection”. The Korean segment of this collection was completely described in the Republic of Korea in 2016, and now its analysis is presented in Russian for the first time. The materials of the Bronze Age constitute the most archaic part of the Xinjiang collection. This group includes 12 items: 4 woven baskets, 3 wooden masks with carvings of human faces, 2 ritual staves, 2 felt hats and one boot from a pair of leather footwear. Results. Analysis of the artifacts demonstrates analogies with the eponymous and most famous site of Xiaohe culture on the territory of Xinjiang - the Xiaohe burial ground at Lake Lop Nor. However, there were other complexes like Xiaohe which existed in ancient Xinjiang (for example, Beifang burial ground on the Keriya River). The authors note that the ornamental composition on the surface of woven baskets demonstrates similarity to the decor of the Andronovo culture’s ceramic vessels, and the iconography of wooden carvings of human faces is close to the images on the steles and plates of the Okunevo culture of Southern Siberia. Separate objects similar to both Andronovo and Okunevo cultures are also known to have been found on other sites of Xinjiang. Conclusion. The closest analogy to the described items from the funds of the National Museum of Korea is the Xiaohe culture materials. The question about the exact location of the site where the items of Xinjiang collection in Korea come from is still open. It requires additional research.

Purpose. Previous studies on Koguryo ceramics covered some general information on the archaeological objects found or specific related issues. Our research focuses on the ceramics found only in burials as we aimed at describing typological and technological features of the burial ceramics. The territorial and chronological comparative analysis of the vessels which has been conducted shows the features of each period and region in Koguryo and reveals the development of social background in this state. Results. The burial ceramics analyzed consists of 183 vessels which are divided into 22 types. According to the concentration of burials with ceramics, we identified 4 big areas along major river basins, which are administratively related to modern Liaoning and Jilin provinces of China, North and South Korea. Analysis of the spatial factor of burial ceramics shows that the largest variety of types was found in the Yalu River region, with the next Pyongyang area. This was due to the central location of these territories in Koguryo, which used to be the capital of the state for several centuries. By contrast, there are only few types and samples of funerary ceramics found in the Hun River and Imjin River basin. Most likely, it is due to the fact that they were provinces or suburbs with a political and economic system that was not considered safe yet. Our research shows territorial preferences in using certain types of burial pottery, which was classified according to its characteristics and features. Conclusion. Koguryo’s burial ceramics is divided into storage vessels and cooking vessels, and together they symbolically generalize the concept of “food.” We concluded that the concept of food in the Otherworld was important for the ancient Korean population. We also confirmed that after the 4^th AD ceramic replicas of household items and glazed ceramics began to be buried in Koguryo tombs. It was closely related to the introduction of a new burial type in Koguryo.

Purpose. We studied a rare finding of an iron sword, that was coincidentally discovered at the beginning of the 20^th Century in the outskirts of Kuragino Village on the territory of Minusinsk Hollow. At present, the finding is stored in the collection of long blade weapon objects in the Minusinsk Museum of Local History. Results. The authors traced the most significant events and results achieved in the course of previous studying of archaeological findings of ancient and medieval swords on the territory of Southern Siberia and Central Asia. Definite formal signs, considerable for identification of typological affiliation, of the sword finding from the Kuragino Village are singled out. According to the formal signs, this finding is related to a particular individual type of iron swords. The item has a long, right double-edged blade and a removable guard, which is smoothly curved to sideways of the blade, and a right handle’s haft. Conclusion. Our analysis allows us to conclude that the iron sword was likely to be used by the Yenisei Kyrgyz warriors in the course of hostilities with their adversaries among the nomads, against the Old Turks and Uyghurs people, on the territory of Southern Siberia and contiguous territories of the Central Asian region during a certain historical period, including the Early Middle Ages, in particular the third quarter of the 1^st millennium A. D. That historical period included inception of the Yenisei Kyrgyz state on the territory of the steppe regions of Minusinsk Hollow, which is located to the north of the West-Sayan Mountains.

Purpose. This article is aimed at identifying early samples of hand firearms at different Siberian territories (Buriatia, the Upper Ob region). Such facts open new perspectives for studying and reconstructing the process of development and distribution of hand firearms in Northern Asia and helps identify regional peculiarities of this historic phenomenon. Results. One of the earliest firearms found on the territory of Southern Siberia is a bronze barrel of a Chinese hand firearms discovered in the valley of the Dzhida River in Buriatia, which refers to the Ming Epoch (the Yongle period). Judging by a serial number of the gun (50138), it was manufactured at the early period of mass production of hand firearms in China, i. e. in the first quarter of the 15^th century. Currently, it is one of the earliest foreign samples of oriental firearms known in Siberia. In the Upper Ob region (in the surroundings of the Biysk Fortress (Ostrog), there was another tube of an early hand firearms found. It is of Russian origin and dates the second half of the 16^th - beginning of the 17^th century. These samples of Siberian firearms are archaic, which demonstrates a trend of using archaic weapons up to the beginning of the 18^th century in the absence or lack of modern firearms. It is quite vividly demonstrated by the materials of the artillery treasure of the Umrevinsky Ostrog (1703). Conclusion. The buffer location of Southern Siberia between the growing territories of the Tsardom of Muscovy and Ming China starting from the 1500s A.D. determined the presence of foreign hand firearms of different origin. As evidenced by written sources, they were numerous on the territories where armed conflicts took place and defensive fortifications (Ostrogs) were subsequently constructed.

Purpose. The aim of the work is to introduce for the scientific community new numismatic items of the 16^th century, which allow us to date the earliest burials of the Tara Tatars living in the region and, based on this data, establish some specific features of their burial rituals. Results. We conducted a crash-rescue operation and explored grave 1 on the burial ground Seitovo 4, which is located in the southern-taiga belt of Western Siberia on the right bank of the Irtysh River, in the Tara district of the Omsk region. The burial ground contained two silver coins of the Russian kingdom, which were in use during the reign of Ivan the 4^th (the Grozny), and some other funeral inventory. The analysis of the elements of the burial structure and the inventory in the grave showed similarities with the funeral rituals discovered on the burial grounds of the 17^th - 18^th centuries located in this region. Most researchers relate these grounds to the antique ancestors of the Tara Tatars. However, until now, nothing has been known about the characteristic features of the funeral rite of this population during their early periods. Moreover, due to the lack of dating, early graves could not be distinguished from the later burials, which made it difficult to study their features. The materials analyzed give a better understanding of the formation and genesis of the burial rite under study. Analysis of the coins showed that these were so-called Moscow-issued personal “saber-dengi”, which were minted after the monetary reform of Ivan the 4^th and led to the unification of the monetary system of the Russian tsardom. These coins are rarely found in Western Siberia, and in the Middle Irtysh region they are the most ancient Russian coins referring to 1538-1561. Conclusion. Written sources of the first quarter of the 17^th - first half of the 18^th centuries indicate that the ancestors of the Turaly and Ayaly groups of the Tara Tatars lived in this region at that time. The research allowed us to assert that the people buried there were the ancestors of the Tara Tatars. The results help to establish the lower bound of dating this grave and explore some of the features of the funeral rite of the modern Tara Tatars’ ancestors during their early periods.

Purpose. We describe an original saber discovered in Samarkand in 1969 during construction work in an old building. Presently, the saber is stored in a private collection. We determine the attribution and the time period for this sample of a long-blade weapon based on its features and available examples. Results. The saber features a sharp-triangle blade made of welded bulat “damask” and a bronze handle with a short C-style guard crowned with images of “dragons” and pommels in the form of the head of a bird of prey (possibly a falcon). The full length of the saber measures 91.0 cm with the length of the blade measuring 79.5 cm; width/thickness at the handle is 32.5 / 7.8 mm, in the middle - 28.8 / 5.6 mm, at 10 mm from the point - 10.0 / 2.6 mm; the hilt length - 14.3 cm (handle length - 11.5). The surface of the handle is adorned with three circles grouped as a triangle. The hilt weighs 350 g, the total weight of the saber being 1015 g. Conclusion. Most likely, the saber was made in Middle Asia between 15^th - 17^th centuries. The so called “Timur’s tamga” (three circles grouped as a triangle) could have been added either in the 15^th century, or later (in the latter case, with the purpose of increasing its commercial value). It is less probable that the saber or its handle were produced in the Indian domains of the Babourides, who were descendants of Amir Timur, during the 16^th - 17^th centuries. The saber is a sufficiently rare example of a certain South-Asian influence on the array of arms used by warriors of Mā warāʼ an-Nahr during the late Middle Ages or early modern times. Due to few authentic samples of long-blade weapons from this period available to scientists, this specimen has a high scientific value.

Purpose. This article introduces three samples of spearheads of long-shafted weapons from the collection of the Nizhny Novgorod State Historical and Architectural Museum-Reserve (Nizhny Novgorod, Russia). Long-range weapons being of a certain scientific interest, the samples of spearheads considered are important as they have not been described yet. In the course of our research, we have analyzed the features of their design in order to clarify the origin and time of their creation. Results. Two spearheads from the collection of the Nizhny Novgorod State Historical and Architectural Museum-Reserve came from a private collection of A. O. Karelin (1837-1906), and the third one from the funds of the Museum of Lyskovo. Their origin in those collections is unknown; however, museum workers have managed to date them to the 17^th century. All the spearheads considered are in a good condition, with barely noticeable spots of rust. Obviously, they have new shafts, two of which are broken. All spearheads were manufactured from iron; belong to the sleeved type according to the method of planting on the shaft and to the group of lenticular according to the cross-section of the pen. The pens of the spearheads are of two types - elongated rhombic and elongated triangular. The spearheads’ feathers are decorated with rows of holes along the edge and two curls (sprouts) below the shoulders. All the spearheads have another decorative element, a so called “apple” on the neck of the pen, which was not a mandatory element of this type of spearheads. The elongated rhombic pens belong to the spearheads from the collection of the museum in Lyskovo and Karelin’s collection (spearheads No. 1-2). The spearhead No. 1 (inventory number GOM 11943. IM 1512) has the total length of 28.4 cm; the blade is 11 cm long and 4.7 cm wide at most. The biggest diameter of the sleeves measures 3.8 cm with the length of 13.6 cm. The spearhead No. 2 (inventory number GOM 7274-13. OR 451) has the total length of 34 cm; the blade is 17 cm long and 5.4 cm wide at most. The biggest diameter of the sleeves measures 3.8 cm with the length of 12.4 cm. The elongated triangular pen is from Karelin’s collection. The spearhead No. 3 (inventory number GOM 7274-10. OR 382) has the total length of 37 cm; the blade is 28.5 cm long and 5.5 cm wide at most. The biggest diameter of the sleeves measures 3.8 cm with the length of 12.3 cm. Conclusion. Three previously unknown spearheads have been introduced into scientific circulation. The analysis of the design features of these weapons allowed us to date them to the 17^th century. The spearheads are attributed to the type “rogatina”, which was widespread in the Russian state being massive and big. Such long-range weapons were known as “bear-spear” and initially were used for hunting large animals. Such items are widely found in the European part of Russia and in Siberia, where they were brought by Russian pioneers.

Purpose. The author analyses a traditional cult of fetishism, which used to be common in the traditional life of turks of Hongoray (Khakassia) and others nations of Sayan-Altai region. The scientific novelty is in systematizing the materials available belonging to different ethnic groups of the Khakass (the Kachints, Sagai, Kyzyls, Beltyrs). Results. Functional particularities of the Khakass fetishes “tös” described used to protect clan and family health and served as patrons of cattle breeding and hunting. The author discovers many previously unknown signs and describes their ancient roots. Related myths recorded in Khakassia by the author are of great interest. The first research on the famous fetish “tös” of the Khakass was conducted by ethnographer D. A. Klements, who presented special work on these items. He made a description of them according to his personal collections and observations. Now his collection of “tös” is stored in the Minusinsk Museum of Local History. Unfortunately, D. A. Klements did not speak the Khakass language, so many of the item names were not translated properly. In present work, the author describes new functional features of Khakass fetishes “tös”, especially those related to the protection of the health of the family, the patronage of cattle breeding and hunting. Many previously unknown designations have been discovered, and the ancient roots of such representations have been revealed. At present, the cult of fetishism for the Khakas is a thing of the past; therefore, this research seems to be relevant for ethnographic science in terms of ancient myth-making of the population of Hongoray and neighboring regions of southern Siberia. Conclusion. There is evidence of a significant historical depth of the origin of the “tös”. So, as a result of studying anthropomorphic images on the “engraved pebbles” of the Late Bronze Age originating from Khakassia, their certain successive connections with the Hongors’ “tös” were traced. Thus, having a uniform name and functional characteristics, the cult of “tös” to a certain extent characterizes the origin of the popular beliefs of the Hongoray Turks, as well as their evolution in the historical borders of Sayano-Altai and Central Asia.

Purpose. The aim of this work is to characterize the image of a lizard (kileski) in folklore and ritual practices of the Khakass people. Based on the goal, the following tasks were set: to analyze folklore and ethnographic information, to identify the key components of this mythological creature and to discover semantic links of the image with natural objects and elements. Chronologically, the framework covers late 19^th - mid 20^th Centuries. The choice of such time limits is due to the source base available on the research topic. Leading in the study is the principle of historicism, when any cultural phenomenon is considered in its development, taking into account specific situations. The research methodology is based on historical and ethnographic methods: remnants (relic) and semantic analysis. Results. Our analysis has led us to the following conclusions: in the Khakass culture, the lizard played an important role. It is explained by the lizard being plentiful in the nature of Khakassia, and specifically because of its zoological specificity. In the mythological perception of this reptile, it had contradictory dual characteristics and caused ambiguous feelings. People designated the reptile as a creature living in two environments - earth and water, which is steadily associated with the lower world. At the same time, the image is often introduced into mythological and fairy-tale schemes involving other chthonic species, such as frogs and snakes. In the folklore of the Khakass people, the whole life support system of demonic characters of the lower world, which included farming and nutrition, was directly tied to these amphibians. A great importance was attached to the image of the frog and shamanic practice. The lizard had a direct relation both to the spirit-owner of the water - Sug eezi, and to the lord of the underworld - Erlik Khan. The designated specificity of the lizard allowed including it into the set of key spirits, whi were shaman’s assistants. Shamans mediated between the world of the underground spirits and people: among shamanists, the worship of reptiles reached such a high level that the cult of the patron of sheep arose, the external data of which included the features of reptiles and amphibians. Conclusion. The image of the lizard carried out patronizing, protective and therapeutic functions in relation not only to pets, but also to people. The importance of the lizard to the culture of the Khakass people was so great that its image was included into the traditional Khakass calendar “muchel”. The latter was based on a twelve-year animal cycle. In the perception of the people, “kiles chili” - ‘the year of the lizard’ - was considered a good period.

The review covers the issues touched upon at the 13^th conference of the working group on calendar ceremonialism, “Ritual Year”, operating under the International Society for Ethnology and Folklore (hereafter SIEF). The scientific event took place on November 7-9, 2018 in Bucharest (Romania). The conference has its own long history; therefore, traditions and the main “backbone” of the conference, as well as the circle of regular participants, have been established. Due to the narrow research issues discussed, there are no “random” speakers with messages of little relevance to the general theme, as it often happens at “big” congresses. The conference “Ritual Year”, without exaggeration, has become a professional platform for the exchange of experience and ideas in the field of rituals and ritual practices of ethnologists, anthropologists and folklorists from around the world.