Collection of iron arrow tips from Irtysh region in the Omsk Museum of Local Lore

Purpose. We have analyzed the iron tips of arrows from the collection of random findings stored in the Omsk museum of local lore. All the objects of armament used for remote combat have been classified according to their formal signs. They are divided into groups and types based on the section and form of the arrow tip feather. We also traced analogies to the arrow tips from the studied collection of archaeological sites belonging to the cultures of the ancient and medieval peoples who resided on the territory of Western, Southern Siberia and Central Asia. Results. We identified the chronological periods when a particular type of iron three-blade flat tetrahedral arrow tips, namely the arrow tip of stepped form with figured holes in blades, appeared in the said regions. Our analysis showed that the stepped form of iron arrows appeared for the first time in the inventory of the Xiongnu warriors in Central Asia. Other forms of three-blade arrow tips from the studied collection, judging by the analogies available, were in the inventory of the warriors of the Turkic peoples of the Sayan and Altai Mountains and Central Asia in the periods of the Early and High Middle Ages. We identify various forms of arrows among those with flat tips in the collection. The sector flat arrow tips were used by Central Asian nomads from the first millennium A.D. till the era of the High Middle Ages. Arrows with picked fighting head and elongated neck were applied in Eurasian Steppes in the periods of the Early and High Middle Ages. Similar tips were used by Siberian Tatars in Late Middle Ages. The tetrahedral arrow tips with picked thorns were in the inventory of the Selkup on the territory of taiga zone of Western Siberia. We applied formal and typological analysis to studying the iron arrow tips stored in the collection of the Omsk museum of regional history, and it has clearly shown ample opportunities for studying museum weapon collections of Siberian cities, where quite a lot of random findings of armament objects are stored. We managed to discover analogous findings in the course of studying this museum collection similar to the forms of iron arrow tips picked. Conclusion. Our analysis of the part of the collection studied can be used as accompanying inventory in studying medieval archaeological sites and ethnographical collections in Western, Southern Siberia and Central Asia. The iron arrow tips described can be engaged by other researchers in the scope of Northern Asian weapon for studying complexes of remote combat weapon of the Turkic people of Central Asia and for description of the Khanate of Sibir’s warriors and Samoyedic people of Western Siberian taiga regions. Our experiment of studying the findings from the Omsk museum of local lore can be used by other Siberian scientists and experts in history of weapon of medieval people of Northern Asia for analyzing similar collections in other museums.