Xiongnu stone and bone belt plaques of the linear geometric ornamentation across The Steppe 2nd C. BCE - 1st C. CE
"The existence of the same belt type with rhomb ornament (Fig. 6) points to a more direct connection, possibly throws light on the actors involved in these interaction processes, probably through the mobility of those warriors. Compared with the numerous findings in northern Mongolia and Transbaikalia also the isolated occurrence of such belt plaques in Central Asia might speak for mobility. With these plaques however also the transfer of an idea is reflected since most likely at least some of them were locally manufactured. One can toy with the idea of linking the appearance of such warrior belts north of the Amu-Darya with historical events described in the “Han shu” (ch. 70, 94 etc.) where on several occasions close interactions between Xiongnu and Kangju warriors as well as other western powers is reported, such as in ch. 70: “Zhizhi, the Chanyu of the Xiongnu…, turned west and went to Kangju, and borrowed troops from Kangju. With troops [given by Kangju], he attacked Wusun many times”. Because of a lack of a finer chronology for the warrior burials under discussion this link can only remain one possibility out of several but points to the mobility and common action of warriors. Without a fine chronology one will have also difficulties to explain the connection to the Volga region."
-Xiongnu Archaeology. Multidisciplinary Perspectives of the First Steppe Empire in Inner Asia Edited by Ursula Brosseder, Bryan K. Miller. 2011 Vor- und Frühgeschichtliche Archäologie Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn. Bonn Contributions to Asian Archaeology Volume 5 Edited by Jan Bemmann.
Source/Quote:
• Encyclopedia Xiongnu
• Xiongnu Archaeology. Multidisciplinary Perspectives of the First Steppe Empire in Inner Asia Edited by Ursula Brosseder, Bryan K. Miller. 2011 Vor- und Frühgeschichtliche Archäologie Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn. Bonn Contributions to Asian Archaeology Volume 5 Edited by Jan Bemmann.
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