ICHTHYOLOGICAL MATERIALS FROM THE ODIN CULTURE RITUAL COMPLEXES OF THE PREOBRAZHENKA MONUMENT-6*

The article analyzes ichthyological finds from the pits that accompanied the burials of the Odin culture at the Preobrazhenka-6 monument (Barabinsk forest-steppe). Methodological aspects of working with ichthyological materials from archaeological complexes are described. Diagnostics of the species and age composition of fish was made, the time of catch and the number of individuals were determined. The analysis of the findings that lay in the pits together with the remains of fish, as well as an assessment of the spatial distribution of these pits, made it possible to draw conclusions about the specifics of the use of fish in the ritual practice of the carriers of the Odin culture.

Keywords: Bronze Age, Odin culture, ichthyological materials, ritual practice.

Fig. 1. Map-layout of the Preobrazhenka-6 monument.

Introduction

The Preobrazhenka-6 archaeological complex is located on the edge of the above-floodplain terrace on the right bank of the Omi River, 5 km west of the village. Staraya Preobrazhenka in the Chanovsky district of the Novosibirsk region (Fig. 1). The monument, whose territory was subjected to intensive plowing, was discovered by V. I. Molodin in 1973 [Troitskaya, Mol odin, Sobolev, 1980, p. 123]. In the future, taking into account the nature of collections from the arable land surface, it was assumed that there are not only settlement, but also multi-time burial complexes (Molodin et al., 2004). In 2004-2010, archaeological and geophysical surveys were carried out on the monument.

* The work was carried out within the framework of the RFBR project No. 11-066-12002 OFI-M-2011.

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2. Plan of the Odinovsky complex of the Preobrazhenka-6 monument.

1 - boundaries of the excavation site with the number; 2-burials; 3-pit; 4-pit with fish bones; 5 - edge of the terrace.

researches. Based on the magnetometric survey data (over the years it covers an area of 33720 m2), a detailed geomagnetic map of the monument was compiled, which made it possible to plan the strategy of its archaeological study at a qualitatively new level. In a short period of time, complexes of the Ust-Tartass, Odin, and Andronovo cultures of the Bronze Age, the Sargat culture of the Early Iron Age, as well as the Turkic period and the Late Middle Ages were identified and studied on Preobrazhenka-6 [Dyadkov et al., 2005; Molodin, Chemyakina, and Pozdnyakova, 2007; Molodin et al., 2008, 2010].

The most representative part of the monument is the funeral and memorial complex of the Odin culture. Even before the beginning of the excavations, taking into account the materials of geophysical studies, it was diagnosed as a ground burial ground, the boundaries of its distribution and the features of planigraphy were determined [Dyadkov et al., 2005, Fig. 2]. In 2005-2010, excavations No. 4, 6, 11 uncovered 1055 m2 of the area of this complex, 63 burials and 55 burial sites were studied. pits elongated in chains along the CVD-SE line (Fig. 2). The results of archaeological excavations fully confirmed the data of magnetometry. The study of the necropolis was a milestone in the formation of modern ideas about the Bronze Age of the Ob-Irtysh forest-steppe. The expansion of the information base made it possible to correlate this burial site with the complexes of the Odin stage of the Early Bronze Age, which was previously represented only by materials from settlements. Based on the study of the aggregate array of sources, V. I. Molodin raised the question of identifying a special Odin culture, the existence of which is determined by the third millennium BC.The necropolis of the Preobrazhenka-6 monument was diagnosed as a reference one, which has all the characteristic features of Odin burial complexes [Molodin, 2008, 2010].

A special feature of the Odinovsky Preobrazhenka-6 burial ground is the concentration of accompanying material mainly in pits located in the same row with burials or in the immediate vicinity of them outside the row. The inventory is dominated by ceramics,

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including whole vessels, there are also objects made of stone and waste products from their production, bones of animals and birds. Of particular interest is a small group of pits with remains of ichthyofauna, the analysis of which is devoted to the presented work. The results presented in it are the result of many years of research; they make it possible not only to assess the diversity of natural resources and the peculiarities of fishing in the Bronze Age, but also to determine the features of the ritual practice of the Odin culture carriers.

Methodological aspects of processing ichthyological materials from archaeological complexes

One of the first attempts to analyze fish bone remains was reflected in the article by A. N. Gundrizer. Based on the findings from the settlement of Yelovka, they identified seven fish species and gave their characteristics [1966]. Later, E. A. Tsepkin and V. A. Mogilnikov, based on the results of osteological studies, reconstructed the features of fishing among the population of the Irtysh forest region during the Iron Age [1968]. In 1988, the monograph SI was published. Everstova "Fishing in Siberia. Stone Age", in which a typology of fishing tools and the main attributes of nets is proposed, and fishing techniques are reconstructed [1988]. A separate chapter of the book is devoted to the characteristics of fishing among the Neolithic population of Siberia, including the territory of the Ob region. Fishing among the native Samus culture of the Advanced Bronze Age was considered by V. I. Molodin and I. G. Glushkov in the monograph " Samus Culture in the Upper Ob region "(1989). Researchers defined it as a net event, mainly in summer, and noted the main fishing cycles. E. A. Sidorov, based on materials from various monuments, analyzed in detail such fishing tools as harpoons, stone sinkers, hooks, etc. and characterized fishing among the population of the forest-steppe Ob region in the first millennium BC [1989, p. 32-41]. In recent years, several articles have appeared on fishing among the population of the Late Bronze Age and the time of transition from the Late Bronze Age to the Iron Age of the Novosibirsk Ob region. Thus, based on the materials of the Berezovy Ostrov I settlement, a net method of fishing using a large-mesh net was identified, and the species composition of ichthyological remains was determined (Koneva et al., 2006).

Analyzing the history of the study of the remains of ichthyofauna from the archaeological sites of Western Siberia, we can conclude that this problem has not received proper coverage. The characteristics of fishing were most often based on the results of studying fishing gear and much less often on ichthyological materials. This is partly due to the fact that ichthyological remains are rarely preserved in archaeological complexes. But perhaps the main reasons for this state of affairs are the small number of specialists who would like to work with the paleoichthyofauna, as well as the extremely low level of interdisciplinary interaction.

To get an idea of the possible diversity of fish species in fossil materials, it is necessary first of all to know the ichthyofauna of reservoirs in the study region. Each fish species has its own morphological features. However, the usual determinants for determining the type of fish (Veselov, 1977; Fish of the USSR.., 1969), based on external features, are not suitable for such analysis, since archaeological materials, as a rule, are represented only by bone fragments of the skeleton and scales.

The accuracy of determining the type of fish depends on the number and preservation of skeletal fragments that distinguish one species from another. The skull of bony fish is arranged according to a single scheme, but the size, shape, and configuration of its constituent bones are species-specific. The collection of skulls of the main commercial fish of Siberia, prepared by one of the authors of the article, makes it possible to identify any osteological material found during excavations to the species by comparative analysis. Here is a description of the main fish species identified in the study.

The ide (Leuciscus idus) is widespread in Central Europe and Siberia. It lives in large flat rivers and lakes. It is especially abundant in rivers with floodplain lakes. It winters in riverbeds and deep channels. In the lakes, the ide gathers in large flocks in the spring and goes to the mouths of rivers, where it spawns on rocks or vegetation, and after spawning it returns to the lake reaches. In the Novosibirsk region. the ide lives in such large lakes as Chany, Sartlan, and Ubinskoe. Ide is a valuable commercial fish with good taste qualities. In Siberia, the main mass of yaz is caught, extracted in Russia.

The golden or common crucian carp (Carassius carassius) is widespread in Central and Eastern Europe, as well as in Siberia up to the Lena River. It lives in swampy, overgrown reservoirs, in floodplain lakes. In rivers, crucian carp is rare, kept in areas with a slow current. This species has a special attachment to waters with muddy soils. For the winter, the crucian carp buries itself in the silt and survives even when in cold, snowless winters, small stagnant reservoirs freeze to the very bottom. It also shows the same resistance during summer droughts, when the lakes and swamps in which it lives completely dry up. Crucian carp can dig deep into the silt-

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well, up to 70 cm. Probably, this feature can explain the cases of mysterious appearance of crucian carp in the dried-up lakes of Northern Kazakhstan after filling them with water.

The silver carp (Carassius auratus) differs from the golden one by a large number of gill stamens, silver color of the sides and abdomen, and black color of the peritoneum. It is more attached to large lakes and is found in large rivers. Due to its extraordinary hardiness to adverse factors, crucian carp is often the only representative of the ichthyofauna of reservoirs. Spawning in crucian carp is portioned. The fecundity is high - up to 300 thousand eggs. Crucian carp grow in different water bodies in different ways, can reach a length of 45 cm and a weight of more than 3 kg (Zhizn zhivotnykh, 1971, pp. 323-324).

Common pike (Esox lucius) - among freshwater fish has one of the most extensive ranges, which includes the territory of Western Siberia. It inhabits water bodies with different hydrological regimes, but prefers lakes, lake-like extensions, and river bays. It keeps among thickets of aquatic vegetation. This species switches to predatory feeding in the first year of life and can reach a length of more than 1.5 m, a weight of 35 kg or more. Pike spawns immediately after the ice melts, at a temperature of 3-6 °C. During spawning, it enters shallow water [Ibid., pp. 201-203].

Perch (Perca fluviatilis) lives in water bodies in most of Europe, the eastern border of its range reaches the Lena River. This fish is a ubiquitous inhabitant of rivers and lakes in Western Siberia. The average length of the perch body varies from 15 to 25 cm, the weight of an adult individual is up to 1 kg. The larger the perch, the fewer fish are kept in the same flock. A large perch lives alone and resembles a pike in its habits. During the first year of life, it feeds mainly on plankton and insect larvae, then on fish. Spawning of perch begins at the first melting of the ice, when the water temperature reaches 7-8°C, but not higher than 15°C Perch usually spawns in shady areas of the reservoir. In spring, it is caught mainly near spawning grounds [Ibid., pp. 438-439].

These fish species are the most numerous representatives of the native ichthyofauna in various reservoirs of Western Siberia. They reach significant sizes, have high taste qualities and are most often consumed in food. Extraction of these species is possible almost all year round, which probably explains their usual presence in the ritual practice of the ancient population.

Fish were identified based on a set of characteristics specific to each species: skull bones, scales, vertebrae, bone fragments of fins, etc. All parts of the skeleton - the skull, vertebral column, limb girdle and fins-have different levels of deformation, depending on the conditions and duration of burial. This is also specific to the species. For example, perch have the worst preserved skull bones, because they are very thin and brittle. The vertebral column in all fish usually crumbles into vertebrae, the bones of the base of the skull are often crushed into small fractions. The bones of the jaws (especially in pike), gill covers, and the secondary shoulder girdle (kleistrum bones) are least susceptible to destruction. The level of preservation of scales also varies, but its species identity can usually be determined quite clearly. Crucian carp and ide have cycloid scales (Fig. 3, 1), rounded or in the form of a somewhat elongated oval (Fig. 4). Sclerites (deposits of calcium salts), forming annual rings, are laid on it in concentric circles. In crucian carp, the free edge of the scales is darker than the inner edge, immersed in the skin, while in ide, the scales are monophonic. Perch and pike scales are ctenoid (see Figs. 3, 2). Its leading edge is covered with small teeth in the perch, the sclerites do not form concentric circles. Pike is characterized by a different form of scales (Fig. 5).

When starting to work with fossil material, it is necessary first of all to select all the bone elements from the mass of the scale cover. First, you should count the paired components, such as gill caps, that are best preserved. This makes it possible to calculate the number of individuals in the pit with greater accuracy. According to the bones and the nature of scales, the species composition of fish in this material is determined, then-age features.

Golden and silver carp are very close species. They differ only in their scales: in the golden crucian, it is smooth, in the silver crucian, it is rough; the skeletons are almost indistinguishable. However, in archaeological material, this difference is often difficult to grasp, because petrified soil particles stick to the scales and it is impossible to determine whether it is smooth or rough. Silver crucian carp is much less common, so when determining the species, they most often indicate "golden crucian". With any preservation of the skull, crucian carp is best identified by the bones of the gill cap and pharyngeal teeth. The gill cap of all bony fish consists of four bones: cap (the largest), pre-axillary, under-axillary and inter-axillary. In carp, the cap bones have a characteristic shape and longitudinally striated surface (Fig. 6). The cap bones are best preserved due to their large thickness and striated structure. Pharyngeal teeth are an important diagnostic feature of all cyprinids. They are located on special bones in the pharynx and ima-

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Figure 3. Types of scales. 1-cycloid; 2 - ctenoid.

4. Micrographs of crucian carp scales (1) and ide scales (2).

5. Micrograph of a 16-year-old pike scale fragment.

6. Gill caps of crucian carp - cap bones.

7. Pharyngeal teeth of crucian carp.

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Fig. 8. Gill covers of the ide-cap bones.

Fig. 9. Pharyngeal teeth of yazia.

they have their own specific features. Carp have four teeth of a very characteristic shape on their paired pharyngeal bones (Fig. 7). Sometimes it is also possible to determine the presence of carp by the first prickly ray of the dorsal and anal fins. They are jagged and have the appearance of a small nail file.

If fragments of the yaz skull are preserved, then its identification is carried out by gill covers and pharyngeal teeth. In contrast to crucian carp, the cap bone is smooth, almost square in shape (Fig. 8). The pharyngeal teeth are double - rowed (three teeth in the upper row, five in the lower row), with a characteristic hook at the ends (Fig.9).

The scales of perch are small, strongly deformed in archaeological sites; its division into teeth in the form of triangular segments is very characteristic. From the bones of the skull, the parasphenoid is best preserved, which is located at the bottom of the skull and has a very characteristic appearance (Fig. The gill covers are peculiar - the cap bone is triangular in shape with a special spike in the upper part (Fig. 11); this species is unmistakably determined by it. In addition, sometimes the spiny rays of the first dorsal fin are preserved (there are only two of them), the rays in the samples take the form of rigid "sticks", slightly tapering to the free end.

If the jaws of a pike are preserved, then it is impossible to make a mistake in determining this species. Especially characteristic is the lower jaw with strongly elongated dental bones and long canine teeth (Fig. 12). The frontal and parietal bones are also elongated. The scales are often divided into two parts by protruding lobes, but they are always clean, without fossils, with clearly visible annual rings.

10. Parasphenoid of the perch skull.

11. Perch gill cap - cap bone.

12. Lower jaw of a pike.

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Fig. 13. Dynamics of yazya growth.

14. Dynamics of pike growth.

It is particularly difficult to work with osteological material from archaeological sites to determine the age of fish. The method of its determination is generally accepted and is carried out by counting annual rings on scales (Pravdin, 1966; Nikolsky, 1971). Already in fingerlings, calcium salts - sclerites-begin to be deposited in the form of concentric rings. The rate of laying of sclerites is constant, the growth rate of scales is different. In summer, with intensive growth of fish and scales, the distance between the sclerites is greater, in winter it is less. Since the growth of fish in winter decreases or stops altogether, the sclerites lie almost on top of each other. Therefore, summer sclerites appear light, winter-dark. These formations are called annual rings (Figs. 13, 14).

Counting the annual rings of modern fish is not difficult. However, if the scales lie in the ground for more than one thousand years, they either collapse or become covered with particles of petrified soil. Annual rings of fish are best studied on dry scales with a constant movement of the screw that regulates the increase or decrease of the object. In this case, the boundary of the annual rings begins to appear better. For counting, we used a binocular magnifier with a magnification of 12.5 times. To determine the age of one individual, sometimes you have to look through dozens or even hundreds of scales. The material usually contains the remains of several fish of different species, so measuring age certainly requires hard work and a lot of time.

Results of the analysis of ichthyological materials from the pits of the Odin culture of the monument

In the materials from the Odinovo culture pits, four types of fish are distinguished: ide, crucian carp (gold and silver), pike and perch (see the table). Three of the eight pits containing ichthyological remains were examined in Excavation No. 4 (see Figure 2). Pit No. 20 was located next to a children's burial of the Odin culture (Figure 15). The child was laid on his back, stretched out, with his head on the VSV. 16, 3) and a fragment of a knife-shaped plate, a miniature bronze awl, and a fragment of a vessel corolla were found in the grave pit. According to stratigraphic observations, this burial site partially cuts through a pit that appears to have been constructed earlier.

Ихтиологический материал из ямы N 20 представлен большим количеством чешуи и ребер, а также жаберными крышками разной степени сохранности, лучами плавников, элементами плечевого

стр. 31
Ихтиологические и другие находки из ритуальных ям одиновской культуры на памятнике Преображенка-6

N раскопа, ямы

Карась

Язь

Щука

Окунь

Другие находки

Кол-во особей

Возраст, лет

Кол-во особей

Возраст, лет

Кол-во особей

Возраст, лет

Кол-во особей

Возраст, лет

4,20

-

-

15

7, 9, 11, 13, 14

-

-

-

-

Small burnt animal bones, left knife, scraper, flake, animal bone

4, 123

-

-

3 - 4

9, 11, 12

8

10, 12, 14, 15, 16, 19, 20, 22

10

6,8,9, 10, 12

Stone combat tool and a fragment of ceramics without ornament

6,67

-

-

-

-

-

-

2

6 - 7, 8 - 9

Multiple fragments of a single vessel

11, 129

1

7 - 8

-

-

-

-

-

-

Ceramic fragment

11, 133

20 - 23

6, 7, 8, 9

Seven fragments of pottery, a horse's shoulder blade, fragments of a dog's skull and vertebrae

11, 134

30

6, 7, 8, 9, 10

-

-

-

-

-

-

Bone tool, processed bone fragments, five ceramic fragments, horse's hoof

belts, vertebrae, and fragments of pharyngeal teeth. Diagnostics of the fish species composition was carried out according to a whole set of characteristics: cycloid scales, well preserved, typical of the ide; gill covers are smooth, also of the usual form for the ide; pharyngeal teeth are single-rowed, with hooks characteristic of the ide at the end. The fish are 7, 9, 11, 13, and 14 years old. Taking into account the age of the fish, their body weight could vary from 600-700 kg. 2 000 - 2 500 city of 26 gill caps were found in the pit, which means that there were at least 15 individuals of yaz in it. At the same time, only seven fragments of pharyngeal teeth were found. Perhaps, before being used for ritual purposes, the fish was cleaned and the pharyngeal teeth were removed along with the gills. Small burnt animal bones, a horn insert knife with a stone knife-like plate (Fig. 16, 1), an animal bone, as well as a scraper and a flake made of stone (see Fig. 15) were also found in the filling of pit No. 20.

Pit No. 123 adjoined a ritual pit located in the same row with the burials of the Odin culture (see Figure 2). Pharyngeal teeth and scales of three or four individuals of yaz weighing approximately 800 to 1500 g were found here. The fish are 9, 11, and 12 years old. Scales and bones of about ten individuals of perch aged 6, 8, 9, 10 and 12 years were found in the filling of the object. Since the scales are large, the body weight could reach 600 - 800 g. Pike scales were recorded in this pit. Given the number and size, it can be concluded that there were about eight individuals of fish age 10, 12, 14, 15, 16, 19, 20 and 22 years old. On the scales of all fish species, the last annual ring is complete, which indicates a catch in late winter and early spring. Since the pikes are older, they had a large body weight. In the pit were also found a stone tool insert and a fragment of ceramics without ornaments.

Pit No. 28 was located between two rows of burials and pits of the Odin culture (see Figure 2). Along with the remains of fish, a stone tool on a chip with two working retouched faces, four fragments of ceramics without ornaments, as well as fragments of horse, elk, bear and dog bones were found here. Unfortunately, the ichthyological material from this pit turned out to be unsuitable for analysis.

A complex of five pits containing ichthyological remains was recorded in excavations N 6,11. Four pits (N 67,132 - 134) were located in a compact group to the west, and one (N 129) - to the east of the Odin burials and pits identified in these excavations (see Fig. 2).

The material from pit No. 67 is very metamorphosed, consisting of tiny fragments of skull bones and segments of scales. According to several scales of good preservation, a perch species was determined at the age of 6-7 and 8-9 years, which may correspond to a body weight of 250-500 g. The cap bones of the skull are strongly destroyed, but they still have a sharp triangular outer edge. Of the fish that live in the south of Western Siberia, only perch has such a shape of cap bones. Several fragments of the vessel were also found in the pit.

In pit No. 129, after clearing the bottom level,a rounded depression with dimensions of 0.38 x 0.43 x 0.14 m was revealed, in the filling of which a fragment of ceramics and

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15. Plan of grave No. 11 (A) and pit No. 20 (B). Burial No. 11: a scraper (1) and a fragment of a knife-shaped plate (2) made of stone, a fragment of ceramics (3), a bronze awl (4).

Pit No. 20: a horn insert knife with a stone knife-like plate (1), a scraper (2) and a chip (3) made of stone, an animal bone (4).

16. Subject complex of the Odin culture. 1-a horn insert knife with a stone knife-like plate, 2 - a fragment of ceramics, 3-a stone scraper, 4-a bone tool. 1 - pit N 20; 3-border N 11; 2, 4-pit N 134.

leftover fish. Four vertebrae, fragments of gill covers, several bone rays of fins, a "file" of the first bone ray of the anal fin, and several scales were found. All the bones belong to one crucian carp at the age of 7-8 years.

Ichthyological material from pit No. 132 proved unsuitable for analysis. No other items were found in this pit.

In pits No. 133 and 134, fish scales and bones lay in layers that were separated from each other by sterile layers of soil with a thickness of 1 - 10 cm. In the filling of pit No. 133, the material of layer 1 (upper) is represented by scales and bones of the gill covers of four individuals of crucian carp. The last annual ring was completed, so the catch was made in late autumn or early spring. In winter, crucian carp

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it sleeps, so it is rarely found in catches. The most likely time of catching is late autumn, because in the spring, when the crucian carp begins to feed, a new annual ring also grows, but this was not recorded. The width of the ring allows you to judge its completeness. There are also fry rings located in the center of the scales (they are formed when the fish is a fry), but they do not correspond to the growth in one year. Thus, a number of signs allow us to conclude that layer 1 of pit No. 133 contained the remains of two individuals of crucian carp aged 7 and 9 years and two more aged 8 years. Layer 2 also consisted of crucian carp scales and skull bones. The 32 cap bones are well preserved. The subopterygeal, interopterygeal, and posteropterygeal bones are fragmentary. According to the number of cap bones, there were at least 16 carp, maybe even 19 individuals. They correspond to a large number of scales. The fish are 6, 7, and 8 years old. One individual, possibly 9 years old.

The remains of 20-23 crucian carp were found in pit No. 133. The possible body weight of each 300-500 g. The fish was probably caught in nets. It should be noted that vertebrae, ribs, and pharyngeal teeth were missing in the filling of this pit. The latter may have been pulled out along with the gills while cleaning the fish to prevent it from spoiling. Since the ichthyological material consisted only of scales and skull bones, it can be assumed that only fish skin with a head was placed in pit No. 133.

Seven fragments of pottery, a horse's shoulder blade, and fragments of a dog's skull and first two vertebrae were also found in this pit.

Four layers of fish were recorded in the filling of pit No. 134 (Fig. 17). Layer 1 included scales in the form of segments, small fractions of gill caps (so small that it is impossible to calculate their number, even approximately), and one vertebra of crucian carp. This layer includes crucian carp of three age groups-6, 7 and 8 years. Occasionally, there are scales with a ninth ring, but this may be an additional ring, since there is no clarity in its manifestation. The last annual ring of all fish is complete, therefore, the catch was made in late autumn or early spring. The material from layer 2 also consists of scales and the smallest fractions of bones of the gill covers of crucian carp. The scales are fragmented into segments, but the annual rings on them are better visible than on the scales from layer 1. The fish is 7, 8, 9, and 10 years old. The annual rings are completed. Layer 3 contains a large number of scales (also badly destroyed) and gill cap bones (cap and underwing), as well as individual skull bones (parietal and frontal) of crucian carp. It is difficult to calculate the exact number of individuals, because there are few whole bones. Judging by the number of scales and bones, there were 10 - 15 individuals of carp 6, 7, 8 and 9 years old. Individuals aged 7 and 9 years are more common. The annual ring is complete, probably an autumn catch. Possible body weight from 300 to 500 g.

In layers 2 and 3, approximately 100 pharyngeal teeth were found in fragmentary form. Gold and silver crucian carp have four teeth on each side, so the teeth found belonged to 12-15 individuals of fish, which generally corresponds to the number of scales.

In layer 4, a large number of scales of golden and silver crucian carp were found (the golden scales are smooth, the silver scales are rough). In the filling of other pits, the bone remains of only golden crucian carp are represented. Parts of the crucian carp skull were also found here - fragments of chondrocranium bones, a large number of gill covers (dilapidated), several vertebrae, ribs and an unbranched ray of the anal fin with seven to eight teeth ("saw"). By the nature of the denticles, it is a ray of silver carp. The fish are 7, 8, and 9 years old. The last annual ring is completed, as on the fish lids from all previous layers. Nine - year-old fish are rare, mainly represented by scales of seven-and eight-year-olds. Judging by the number of scales and skull bones, layer 4 also contained at least 10 to 15 individuals of carp.

As in pit No. 129, in the central part of pit No. 134 there was a small depression in which the skull of a crucian carp was located. The cap bones, pharyngeal tooth and two vertebrae are well preserved. The cap bones are small, which corresponds to a medium-sized carp, weighing approximately 100-150 g. Since there are no scales, the age of this individual cannot be determined.

No less than 30 individuals of crucian carp were recorded in the filling of pit No. 134. In all fish, the annual ring is complete, which most likely corresponds to the catch

17. Pit No. 134. View from the South-West.

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in late autumn. There are five age groups: 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 years old. The mass of all the fish found, with the exception of one of the depressions, is in the range of 300-500 g, so it can be assumed that the catch was made by nets. This weight of fish corresponds to the network "sorokovka" or "fifty" with a cell size of 4x4 or 5x5 cm.

In addition to the ichthyological material, a bone tool was found in pit No. 134 at the upper horizon level (see Figures 16, 4), a small bone with traces of chipping, and five ceramic fragments. The corolla presented in the collection is a marker of the Odin culture (see Figures 16, 2). A horse's hoof was found in the bottom part of the pit.

Conclusions

The results of the analysis of ichthyological materials from the pits on the territory of the Odinovsky burial complex of the Preobrazhenka-6 monument allow us to conclude that we are not dealing with the remains of storage pits for keeping fish as a food product (a method used by many aborigines of Siberia). The pits, judging by their location on the territory of the necropolis and their proximity to funerary complexes, were associated with funerary practice.

Given the presence of a" clean " magnetogram of the monument, it can be argued that the main part of the Odin complex has already been studied by us. There is no doubt that the center of the entire burial ground, which is extended along the line of the SSZ - SE, is a site bounded on the western side by an arched moat (see Figure 2). It was on this site that a unique find for this complex was discovered - a bronze vtubated spear tip with a hole for fastening and an eye, made in the form of a in the tradition of Seimin-Turbinsky casting [Molodin et al., 2007, Fig. 2]. On the territory of the burial ground, the pits containing ichthyological material formed two compact groups. One (pits N 67, 129, 132 - 134) is located to the north of the necropolis center, the other (pits N 20, 28, 123) is located in the southern periphery of the Odin complex. Taking into account the peculiarities of the planigraphic location of the pits with ichthyofauna, it can be assumed that the ritual actions associated with their construction were of a general nature, although the probability of their being confined to specific burials cannot be completely excluded.

"Northern" and "southern" pits differ from each other. In the northern part of the Odinovsky complex, there are small depressions in pits N 129 and 134 in the center below the bottom level, each of which contains the bones of one individual crucian carp. Remains of crucian carp were found in pits N 129, 133, 134, and only perch remains were found in pit N 67. In the pits on the southern periphery of the burial ground, the composition of fish is different: in the pit N 20 there were remains of ide, N 123 - ide, pike and perch. Thus, there is a connection between the species composition of fish and the location of pits on the planigraphic map of the necropolis. Based on the time of fishing, it can be assumed that the pits in the northern part of the complex were created in late autumn, and in the southern part - in late winter and early spring. The arrangement of these ritual objects took place during the transition periods between seasons.

The results of the analysis of ichthyological materials allow us to state that adult, rather large individuals were selected for ritual purposes. Gutted fish or only the skin with the head were placed in the pits. The ritual function of these structures is indicated, in our opinion, by a set of objects found in four pits, consisting of tools that were apparently used for cleaning fish, as well as fragments of ceramics and bones of a horse, elk, bear, and dog.

It is known that the image of fish in the mythological schemes of the ancient population is most often the main classifier of the lower world [Toporov, 1980, p. 391]; at the same time, the range of interpretation of this image in world practice is very wide [Ibid.]. In this case, we see, most likely, one of the manifestations of the sacrifice associated with the funeral rite. If we follow the classification of sacrifices developed by E. O. James, then the ritual of placing a fish in a pit can be attributed to the rite of feeding the deceased or a deity (James, 1933). One of the explanations for its meaning could be the offering of a sacrifice-gift and "regardless of the purpose of the gift, receiving reciprocal benefits" [Dmitrieva, 2000, p. 13]. Rituals of this type were defined by A. S. Tokarev as a special (third) aspect of the sacrifice - "funeral and cemetery" (1981, p. 32). The results obtained by us allow us to conclude that the sacrifices of the Odin population had a pronounced seasonal character. This may be due to offerings to the gods of nature, patrons of economic activities [Zherebina, 2000, p.29].

The rite of burying in the ground among the Siberian peoples was the most popular and most ancient "method of delivering sacrifices to another sphere of the universe" [Kosarev, 2000, p. 42]. The creation of such pits in the cemetery probably ensured the "delivery" of certain sacrifices (in this case, fish) to relatives who had passed away. The placement of fish food in the pits could well be associated with the sacralization of certain fish breeds or ichthyofauna in general.

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The article was submitted to the Editorial Board on 06.02.12. The final version was published on 16.02.12.

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