Turkic enclosures of the Bayan Bulag-II archaeological site in the Mongolian Altai: results of research and complex analysis

The article presents the results of a comprehensive analysis of the Turkic enclosures unearthed at the Bayan Bulag-II site, located near the Khovd town in the southern part of the Mongolian Altai. The study of stone enclosures as part of ritual complexes characterizing the variety of the nomadic civilization is topical for identifying the features of the Turkic culture. The aim of the article is to give a generalized cultural and chronological description of the Bayan Bulag-II ritual objects for further objective reconstruction of the features of the ritual practice of certain nomad groups in the Mongolian Altai. The source of the research is the materials of new excavations conducted by the universities of Barnaul, Khovd and Ulaanbaatar, as well as diverse information about Turkic enclosures in adjacent territories. For the disclosure of the historical context, written sources of the era of the Turkic Khaganate were used. The work is based on the implementation of an integrated approach, which involves the use both traditional methods of archaeological research and the possibilities of natural sciences. The conducted research gives grounds for the following conclusions. Analysis of structural characteristics of enclosures and features of the design of stone statues excavated in the valley of the Buyant river allowed to determine the time of the creation of the complex within the 7th century AD. The dating is confirmed by analogies with ritual constructions and their object complexes on the territory of the Altai Mountains. The Bayan Bulag-II site, demonstrating the Turkic tradition of ritual enclosures, reflects the realities of the historical past. X-ray fluorescence analysis of the detected metal products, carried out with the help of a portable spectrometer, made it possible to establish an almost identical chemical composition of the fixed objects from gold, and also to compare these results with the indicators of the modern sample studied. It is possible that all the finds are made from one small nugget or from several small nuggets of similar origin. Probably, in the investigated fence no. 2 there was a product of organic material decorated with gold stripes. Comparison of archaeological materials and information from written sources suggests that the investigated complex could be built by the population of the East Turkic Khaganate before the subordination of this nomadic empire to Tang China. The obtained results of the analysis of the Bayan Bulag-II ritual objects specify the spatial and chronological boundaries of the nomadic habitats on the little-studied territory of the Mongolian Altai, expand the information possibilities of discovering the historical and cultural potential of the nomadic world in this part of Central Asia during the early Middle Ages.

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