Bow, arrows and saadak (case) from Niya burial ground at Xinjiang (China)

The article is dedicated to the analysis of bow, arrows and quiver found by the Sino-Japanese joint archaeological expedition during the excavations at the Early Medieval fortified settlement and burial ground of Niya, Xinjiang (China). The characteristics of bow construction, shapes of arrows and the way of their carrying are given. The whole complex was reasonably dated within the period from the end of East Han up to the Early Liang dynasties, i. e. III–IV centuries AD. Because of climate of exceptional hotness and dryness, the objects made from organic materials found at the ancient and medieval cultural sites of Xinjiang are preserved in very good condition (including wooden parts of bows and shafts of arrows, leather and fabric parts of quivers etc.). In the previous years specialists have been investigating the bow sets of Saks, Huns. Uyghurs of Turpan and nomads of Mongolian epoch. All these finds gave the reasons to reconstruct precisely very important component in material culture of these nomadic peoples. Analysis of the finds from Niya also make it possible to retrace special features in the development of this kind of distance weapon and warrior’s equipment among the population of Western Region (Xiyu) that lived along the South route of the Silk Road as well as their interaction with armament traditions of the nomadic world of Central Asia at the turn of Ancient times to Medieval Epoch.