Horny stirrup from the Gorny-10 necropolis of the Turkic khaganates’ era (Northern Altai)

The article presents a rare horny stirrup found during excavations of grave 27 of the Gorny-10 necropolis. This site, located in the Krasnogorsk region of the Altai Territory, was investigated in 2000-2003. The published complex is a single burial of an adult male with a representative inventory, which included weapons, tools, costume elements, and horse equipment. The recorded burial rite has parallels in the materials of burials in the Forest-Steppe Altai, traditionally attributed to the Odintsovo culture. Most of the finds from grave 27 have standard characteristics, demonstrating the appearance of the object complex of the population of North and Central Asia in the first centuries of the Middle Ages. The analysis of items dates the object in the second half of the 7th century AD. A striking element of the accompanying inventory from the published burial is a horn stirrup. This product was first discovered in the sites of the Odintsovo culture. Single parallels to this find are known from the complexes of a later period, studied in Altai and adjacent territories. The rarity of such items, as well as the context of their discovery, make it possible to consider stirrups made of organic materials as an indicator of the special status of a deceased person. In the case of the Gorny-10 necropolis, this is the burial of a full-fledged warrior man, who, obviously, did not belong to the elite of society, but represented the wealthy strata of the population involved in various activities.