Post by auntym on Feb 11, 2015 12:34:13 GMT -6
www.ancient-origins.net/ancient-places-asia/eerie-balbal-statues-eurasian-steppe-002649
6 February, 2015
The Eerie Balbal Statues of the Eurasian Steppe
Ancient nomads are virtually invisible in the archaeological record, as they left few traces of their lifestyle behind. Unlike sedentary populations, nomads did not have permanent structures, nor did they use pottery and ceramics, which are easily breakable for people on the move. Nevertheless, across the Eurasian steppe, ancient nomadic populations did leave a lasting mark on the world - the mysterious Balbal statues which stand like sentries in the vast plain of land that stretches from Ukraine to Mongolia.
In the Eurasian Steppe, the nomadic Turkic and Mongol tribes were said to have had a variety funerary customs. Apart from burial and cremation, these nomads also practised abandonment and the exposure of corpses in trees. It is claimed however, that there was a change in practice around A.D. 628, as the Annals of the Suei record that the Turkic nomads changed their funerary customs from cremation to burial. Some burial sites were unmarked, most famously perhaps in the case of Genghis Khan. Other burials, however, were more conspicuous in the landscape, and marked with the erection of a temple, inscribed stelae or balbals.
Ancient balbal statue in open air museum of Kyrgyzstan. Credit: Marina Pissarova / BigStockPhoto
The word balbal exists in several languages of the Steppe region, including Russian, Ukrainian and the Kazakh language. It has been suggested that balbal is derived from the Turkic word baba, meaning ‘father’ or ‘ancestor’. Generally speaking, balbals are pieces of stone or wood stuck into the ground. They would often depict a human figure. Most balbals are between half a metre to a metre in height, and are depicted standing upright. Although both male and female balblas exist, the former are much more numerous than the latter. On one hand, there are relatively plain balbals, in which a flat body is topped by a head with facial features carved on it. On the other, there are balbals with lots of fine detail. For instance, some balbals are depicted holding bowls, whilst others are carved with weapons on their belts, yet others are shown with jewelry, such as earrings. It has been suggested that these elaborate balbals were produced some time after the plain ones.
MORE PHOTOS & CONTINUE READING: www.ancient-origins.net/ancient-places-asia/eerie-balbal-statues-eurasian-steppe-002649#sthash.VVQnJUH0.dpuf
6 February, 2015
The Eerie Balbal Statues of the Eurasian Steppe
Ancient nomads are virtually invisible in the archaeological record, as they left few traces of their lifestyle behind. Unlike sedentary populations, nomads did not have permanent structures, nor did they use pottery and ceramics, which are easily breakable for people on the move. Nevertheless, across the Eurasian steppe, ancient nomadic populations did leave a lasting mark on the world - the mysterious Balbal statues which stand like sentries in the vast plain of land that stretches from Ukraine to Mongolia.
In the Eurasian Steppe, the nomadic Turkic and Mongol tribes were said to have had a variety funerary customs. Apart from burial and cremation, these nomads also practised abandonment and the exposure of corpses in trees. It is claimed however, that there was a change in practice around A.D. 628, as the Annals of the Suei record that the Turkic nomads changed their funerary customs from cremation to burial. Some burial sites were unmarked, most famously perhaps in the case of Genghis Khan. Other burials, however, were more conspicuous in the landscape, and marked with the erection of a temple, inscribed stelae or balbals.
Ancient balbal statue in open air museum of Kyrgyzstan. Credit: Marina Pissarova / BigStockPhoto
The word balbal exists in several languages of the Steppe region, including Russian, Ukrainian and the Kazakh language. It has been suggested that balbal is derived from the Turkic word baba, meaning ‘father’ or ‘ancestor’. Generally speaking, balbals are pieces of stone or wood stuck into the ground. They would often depict a human figure. Most balbals are between half a metre to a metre in height, and are depicted standing upright. Although both male and female balblas exist, the former are much more numerous than the latter. On one hand, there are relatively plain balbals, in which a flat body is topped by a head with facial features carved on it. On the other, there are balbals with lots of fine detail. For instance, some balbals are depicted holding bowls, whilst others are carved with weapons on their belts, yet others are shown with jewelry, such as earrings. It has been suggested that these elaborate balbals were produced some time after the plain ones.
MORE PHOTOS & CONTINUE READING: www.ancient-origins.net/ancient-places-asia/eerie-balbal-statues-eurasian-steppe-002649#sthash.VVQnJUH0.dpuf