INDO-EUROPEAN COMMUNICATIONS: the MODEL of “NOMADIC HOMELAND” Victor A
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Periódico do Núcleo de Estudos e Pesquisas sobre Gênero e Direito Centro de Ciências Jurídicas - Universidade Federal da Paraíba V. 9 - Nº 04 - Ano 2020 ISSN | 2179-7137 | http://periodicos.ufpb.br/ojs2/index.php/ged/index 427 INDO-EUROPEAN COMMUNICATIONS: THE MODEL OF “NOMADIC HOMELAND” Victor A. Novozhenov1 Elina K. Altynbekova2 Aibek Zh. Sydykov3 Abstract: The authors of the article (Europe and Ural-Kazakh steppes) by studied the origin of Indo-European two main ways (north and south) through tribes in the light of ancient Margiana and Transcaucasia. communications and the spread of the tribes according to wheeled transport Keywords: steppeland culture, relics in the steppe zone of Eastern migrations, wheeled transport, cattle- Eurasia. The authors considered some breeding, tin-mettallurgy, clan- modern theories related to Indo- leadership. European (IE) and Indo-Iranian (IIr) origin, defined IE innovations that 1. Introduction. marked the territories as possible Recently, in connection with homelands for IEs, and localized them the publication of the new paleogenetic on the map and. The authors used the results [Allentoft et al, 2015; Haak et al., method of mapping and analysing of IE 2015; Lazaridis et al, 2014; 2017; innovations for localization of possible Damgaard et al, 2018a; 2018b; Goldberg homeland teritories of IE on the maps et al, 2017], there is sharp increase in the and substantiate the polycentric model of interest of Russian-speaking scholars to the ancestral homeland of IE as model of the problems of IE culture and origin “nomadic homeland”. According to this [http://генофонд.рф/?page_id=3949 model, the IE homeland was localized in Novozhenov, 2015e; Klejn et al, the steppe-lands of Eurasian continent, 2017:71-15]. Archaeologists know that and in the course of time changed its some questions of historical place from Assyrian steppes to Eurasia reconstructions and cultural genesis, 1 Republican State Enterprise «State museum «UNESCO Center for the Rapprochement of Cultures 2 Scientific-restoration laboratory “Ostrov Krym” 3 Republican State Enterprise «State museum «UNESCO Center for the Rapprochement of Cultures Periódico do Núcleo de Estudos e Pesquisas sobre Gênero e Direito Centro de Ciências Jurídicas - Universidade Federal da Paraíba V. 9 - Nº 04 - Ano 2020 ISSN | 2179-7137 | http://periodicos.ufpb.br/ojs2/index.php/ged/index 428 especially questions related to the steppe homeland on the open spaces of Europe. society, can not be solved within the The model suggested by L.S. Klein is the framework of pure autochthonous most consistent, it takes into account development [Anthony, Brown, 2011: archaeological material of the 130-160]. Chemurchek culture (Eastern There are numerous reports of Turkestan), which was discovered and origin and resettlement of IEs; the most studied by Dr. A. A. Kovaliov [2004; notable ones are the reviews by 2011; 2012a;b]. It was noted that the P. Raulwing [2000], C. Renfrew [1998], Chemurchek materials are rather similar and J. Mallory [1997a;b; 2009; 2013; to the Elunino materials localized in the Mallory, Mair, 2000], providing detailed Altai Mountains and to the monuments analysis and critique of existing discovered in the north-east part of hypotheses on the subject. Among the Kazakhstan [Grushin 2012; Merz, 2007; recent studies considering steppe origin 2010]. These materials are considered as of IEs and developing many provisions an early step in the formation of Seima- of the popular “kurgan hypotesys” by Turbino metallurgical tradition, which in Mary Gimbutas [1970; 1978], the book its turn influenced the formation of the by David Anthony is of particular Yin-Shang industry in China [Kovaliov, interest [Anthony, 2007; review by 2012a: 53-55; Novozhenov, 2012a;c]. L. S. Klein – Horses, Chariots…, Dr. Stanislav A. Grigoryev 2010:167-181, critical review of the [2012a: 40] supposed that migration problem by J. Mallory, 2013; directed to the south of the Urals was one Kristiansen, 2012:165-181; Kristiansen of the important components of the et al, 2017:334-347; 2018]. cultural genesis of local tribes [Grigoriev Prof. Leo S. Klein [2012: 25- 2012a: 40-48]. Among the innovations 34] carefully studied the views on the that have emerged in the region as a problem of finding ancestral home of result of migration, he considered IEs, as well as the current state of this megalithic tradition (the 3rd millennium problem. On the basis of two examples BCE) and Sintashta monuments (the of ancient migrations (Hittite-Luwian beginning of the 2nd millennium BCE). and Tocharian), he raised the question of Thus, the megalithic structures of Vera the localization of the ancestral Lake in the Urals are similar to the Periódico do Núcleo de Estudos e Pesquisas sobre Gênero e Direito Centro de Ciências Jurídicas - Universidade Federal da Paraíba V. 9 - Nº 04 - Ano 2020 ISSN | 2179-7137 | http://periodicos.ufpb.br/ojs2/index.php/ged/index 429 menhirs and dolmens of two other characterized by reliable series of very regions: the Northern Europe and the early calibrated radiocarbon dating eastern Mediterranean [Grigoriev, (withing the period from the end of the 2012b: 30-36,43]. 3rd millennium BCE to 17 BCE). Probably, in this uncertan However, it is still rather problematic to situation, the theorethical model of IE synchronize them and the Middle East communications, based on the recent (Anatolian) findings [Novozhenov, data, could clear the historical process. 2012a: 278-286; 2014a]. The proposed route of migration through the Caucasus 2. Methods and materials. region is questionable due to the fact of development of Caucasus metallurgical The concept of spreading of tradition that at that time had already wheeled transport was already established relationships with the steppe developed. The wheeled transport spread population, but it does not contradict the from west to east (from Mesopotamia), idea of a possible “southern” way of and from south to north (southern route). Sintashta migration from Anatolia along It was spread by the herdsmen the southern shore of the Caspian Sea migrations in the steppes of Central Asia through Turan (West Turkestan-BMAC) and northern Eurasia [Gamgrelidze, and Kazakh steppe (in the South Ural). Ivanov, 1984: 950-951]. The discovered All the new facts provided by geographic locations of rock art archaeology and paleogenetics support monuments (petroglyphs) are prvide the existance of transcontinental unique data on routes of ancient transport corridor in the northern part of migrations [Novozhenov, 1994; Eurasia that was formed in the latitudinal 2012a;c; 2013b; 2014a;b;d; 2015b;d]. direction (the northern route) around the The burials with carriages are steppe zone. In search for new pastures, well-known and represented by a large some groups of herdsmen roamed on series in the Volga region and the Ural- their mobile van-homes after their Kazakh steppes (Figure 1). They were numerous herd, they were gradually found not only in Sintashta, but also in moving in the eastern direction and Petrovo, Alakul, and other local reached Minusinsk Basin, which is archaeological cultures and are natural border of the Eurasian steppe. Periódico do Núcleo de Estudos e Pesquisas sobre Gênero e Direito Centro de Ciências Jurídicas - Universidade Federal da Paraíba V. 9 - Nº 04 - Ano 2020 ISSN | 2179-7137 | http://periodicos.ufpb.br/ojs2/index.php/ged/index 430 These first settlers brought Eurasia, which was the main prerequisite many unusual skills with them. They had for the development of mobile lifestyle. pictorial tradition and decorated walls of Aridization of climate inevitably led to their van-homes and tombs with ocher. the development of the nomadism, They also built megaliths: stela-menhirs specific cattle-breeding culture in the and tombs in the shape of stone boxes steppe zone of Eurasia. In the cultural that should serve them as dwellings in and historical terms, it was a large the other world. These settlers had their community of shepherds united by a own communication system and specific common way of life (animal husbandry) production skills. In a comfortable and and by similar systems of mythological sufficiently large ecological niche of the concepts. Minusinsk Basin, they established Similarity of the monuments various types of relationships with small that are widespread in the steppe zone of indigenous population (through Eurasia can be explained by early mariages, for example) and got emergence of nomadism, which became acquainted with local traditions and a major cultural and economic factor at customs (Figure 2, 3). Further migration the beginning of the 3rd millennium of these groups was only possible in the BCE [Merpert, 1974; Shilov, 1975: 5- southern direction. The vector of this 15]. A. Toynbee [1934: 404] supported movement was oriented to the south-east the thought that nomadism originated to the steppe areas of Mongolia and between the end of 4th and the beginning Xinjiang. It passed through the Altai of the 3rd millennium BCE. It is difficult Mountains [Cernykh, 2009], through the to agree with the idea that the transition “Jungar Gates” and led to the fertile to a nomadic way of life occurred only at valleys of Central Asia in the south and the end of 2nd millennium BCE to endless Kazakh steppes. [Khazanov, 1973: 5-10; Griaznov,1955; 1957; Markov, 1976: 109]; at that time 3. Results. steppe societies obviously already lived by nomadic pastoralism [Kradin, 2007]; In the 3rd millennium BCE, according to the point of view expressed there was a global climate change; it by Nurbulat Masanov [2000:116-130; became more continental and dry in Periódico do Núcleo de Estudos e Pesquisas sobre Gênero e Direito Centro de Ciências Jurídicas - Universidade Federal da Paraíba V. 9 - Nº 04 - Ano 2020 ISSN | 2179-7137 | http://periodicos.ufpb.br/ojs2/index.php/ged/index 431 2011], during that era it became metallurgical centers that generate universal. innovations in bronze casting and Animal husbandry is the main consequently provide the ability to activity for the vast majority of “post- produce innovative weapons; the social neolithic”societies of Central and changes [Bochkarev, 2012:13-24].