Ethnic history of Eastern Adyghe people (Kabardians) of the 15th - the first third of the 19th centuries reflected in funerary practices

The study provides a general description of the Eastern Adyghe (Kabardian) sub-ethnic group in the period from the late Middle Ages until the 1920s. The author elaborates on the monuments of the Old Kabardian culture that have been developed in Ciscaucasia in the 15th - the first third of the 19th centuries. The periods of cultural development are distinguished. The dynamics of settling the territory by Eastern Adyghe sub-ethnic group is demonstrated. The tradition of burying the dead in burial mounds and ground cemeteries is generalized. The author notes the local version of pagan traditions as well as the influence of Christianity and Islam. The signs of social inequality are revealed as well. In the late 17th century, the Old Kabardian culture started to transform into the modern Kabardian culture. At that time, the first Muslim necropolises with stone mausoleums and tombstones were constructed. The author concluded that the Eastern Adyghe (Kabardian) sub-ethnic group followed a single path of development in the 15th - the first third of the 19th centuries. During this period, the Old Kabardian culture gradually evolved into a modern Kabardian culture characterized by prevailing Islamic traits.