The role of fish in the burial and ritual practice of the Odinovo culture (Tartas-1 site, Baraba forest-steppe)

The ichthyological materials from burials and ritual complexes of the Tartas-1 site (Odinovo culture, Baraba forest-steppe) were analyzed in the article to compile the most complete summary of the Odinovo culture sites with ichthyological materials. This study consists of several descriptions: context of fish remains detection, fish species and age composition diagnostics, determination of fishing period and number of individuals, and linking fishery and funeral objects. Currently, the Tartas-1 site section that dates back to the Odinovo culture contains 37 burials, at least 36 ritual pits and four constructions of the production and ritual bronze-casting complex. The materials contain five fish species: ide (Leuciscus idus), crucian carp (Carassius), pike (Esox lucius), perch (Perca fluviatilis), and Siberian roach (Rutilus rutilus lacustris). In the constructions of bronze-casting complex the fish is present in the form of kitchen residues and possibly in the form of fuel for the furnace. Placing fish in the human burials can be interpreted either as accompanying food, or as a sign of the participation of the fish image in the funeral practice as a mythological symbol. Based on the results of the ichthyological material analysis it's possible to suppose that very large adult fish were selected for ritual purposes. It should also be noted that in the burials and ritual pits fish is represented by a limited set of skeleton parts. The most common bones are different parts of the skull (jaws, splenial bones, pharyngeal teeth), rays of fins, and scales. The same element of funeral practice was revealed in other burial sites of Odinovo culture, and it proves the stability of rite. As a result, the researchers had the impression that the fish mount or fish skins off together with the heads could be placed in ritual pits. In some cases, it was possible to determine the likely season of catching of fish used for ritual purposes. Moreover all the commemorative complexes contain fish that was caught in the late winter - early spring, or spring season. All of the above may indicate the seasonal nature of ritual actions associated with ceremonial procedures. This can be correlated with ideas about the seasonal cyclical nature of fishing activity, fading and resurrecting nature. In the ancient mythological schemes, fish, as a symbol of the afterlife, is consistently associated with the cult of fertility and fertility. However, some regions with abundance of fish (eg. Barabinsk forest-steppe) allowed population to actively use this bioresource. This process led to the replacement of meat food from the herdsmen's diet, which was clearly demonstrated in the Pazyryk culture (Gorny Altai) and Andronovo (Fedorov) culture.

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