Sculptural images as a source for anthropology of the medieval population of Northern Eurasia
The aim of this article is to prove the possibility of using the iconography data as a source for paleoanthropology of Northern Eurasia. The tasks of the research included the determination of the degree of realism and portraiture of the medieval sculptural images. The main sources were the ceramic microplastics and the wooden sculpture of the 7th century kurgans in Mongolia. In the cenotaph-kurgan Shoroon Bumbagar in Zaamar sum of the Tov aimag in Mongolia 63 sculptures suitable for anthropological research were found. 35 units are ceramic microplastics. Among them, 24 figures are full length, 11 are images of horsemen. 28 sculptures are made of wood, 10 of which are full length figures. 18 units are presented in fragments. Currently, the materials are stored in the Zanabazar Museum of Fine Arts (UlaanBaator). More than 90 sculptures were found in the Ulaan Kherem Shoroon Bumbagar kurgan in the Bayannuur sum of the Bulgan aimag in Mongolia. Among the terracotta figurines: 14 horsemen and 25 male figures in full length, of Turkic appearance and, presumably, in the nomad clothes (Turks); 25 full length male figures of Chinese appearance, in traditional Chinese attire, apparently representing the officials of the Tang dynasty administration at the headquarters of the buried; 10 female figures. Additionally, wooden figures are presented in the collection - 4 full length figures and 17 fragmented images. All of the materials are situated at the exhibit and in the funds of the Kharkhorin museum. The portraiture and realism of images has been proven. A comparative analysis of the materials allowed to make a conclusion on the belonging of most of the materials to the South Siberian race which includes most of the modern Turkic peoples of the Northern Asia. Figures depict people with domineering features of the mongoloid racial stock. The face is tall and wide, orthognathic, with pronounced cheekbones. On the other hand, the nose structure rather falls out of the set of typically mongoloid features - almost all of the sculptures have a straight, moderately protruding nose with a rather high bridge, sometimes with a hump. Another part of the sculptural images demonstrates a different set of features characteristic for the East Asian race that includes part of the modern peoples of Northern China, Korea and Far East. The sculptures are characterized by the mongoloid set of features. Same as the previous example, a flattening of the face and Mongolian slit-eye can be noted. The face is tall, relatively narrow, orthognathic. The nose is narrow, slightly protruding, with a straight bridge. The nose bridge is low. Thus, we can reasonably speak of the ethnic expansion of the Tang China among the nomads of the Central Asian steppes. Based on the above, the use of the sculptural images from the burials of the Mongolian ancient Turks in racial and ethnical analysis of the Middle Age population appears to be possible and necessary.