Abstract
Studies of the Eurasian Bronze Age have tended to emphasise the homogeneity of social and political processes across the Steppe, evidenced by a common ‘package’ of practices and material culture. The Dornod Mongol Survey examines the major stone monumental forms and associated features of the Ulaanzuukh mortuary tradition of the Gobi region of Mongolia. Combining evidence for mortuary and ritual practices, ceramic traditions and new radiocarbon dates, the authors argue that the appearance of the earliest Bronze Age cultures in this region represents a disparate collection of local, regional and inter-regional expressions that challenge the established narrative of a ‘standard’ Eurasian Bronze Age.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 393-411 |
| Number of pages | 19 |
| Journal | Antiquity |
| Volume | 93 |
| Issue number | 368 |
| Early online date | 11 Feb 2019 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Apr 2019 |
Bibliographical note
The DMS project would not have been possible without the generous collaboration of the Institute of History and Archaeology, Mongolian Academy of Sciences. The work presented was supported by the Wenner-Gren Foundation for Anthropological Research and by the U.S. National Endowment for the Humanities (grant RZ-249831-16). Sarah Pleuger and Victoria Wilson contributed illustrations used here. Finally, we express our sincere gratitude to the families of Delgerkhaan Uul, whose hospitality and knowledge have helped us immensely.Keywords
- Mongolia
- Bronze Age
- monumentality
- funerary traditions
- social hierarchy
- place-making
