Pochówki końskie na obszarze Polski północno-wschodniej w I tysiącleciu n.e.

Abstrakt

Ludność kręgu zachodniobałtyjskiego zamieszkująca w I tysiącleciu n.e. ziemie Polski północno-wschodniej miała zwyczaj chowania razem ze zmarłymi ludźmi także koni. Powojenne badania wykopaliskowe ujawniły pochówki końskie na następujących cmentarzyskach: w Szwajcarii (ANTONIEWICZ 1961), Prudziszkach (KACZYŃSKI 1958), Korklinach (JASKANIS J. 1967; 1969), Osowej (JASKANIS D., JASKANIS J. 1961; 1966; JASKANIS J. 1961), Netcie (OKULICZ 1955), Sątocznie (LASOTA-MOSKALEWSKA, PERLIKOWSKA- -PUSZKARSKA 1994), Tumianach (BARANOWSKI 1996), Młotecznie (ZIEMLIŃSKA-ODOJOWA 1991) i Przebrodzie. Oprócz opracowań archeologicznych powstały także analizy archeozoologiczne szkieletów końskich odkrytych w niektórych grobach na tych stanowiskach, a mianowicie w Netcie (SERWATKA 1970), Tumianach (ŚWIEŻYŃSKI 1972), Sątocznie (LASOTA-MOSKALEWSKA, PERLIKOWSKA-PUSZKARSKA 1994), Osowej (KRYSIAK 1958), Korklinach (KRYSIAK, SERWATKA 1970), Młotecznie (LASOTA-MOSKALEWSKA 1980) i Przebrodzie (LASOTA-MOSKALEWSKA 1984). Pochówki koni na około 11 stanowiskach ujawniły również starsze badania przeprowadzone na tym terenie przez badaczy niemieckich. Podsumowania zagadnień związanych z problematyką pochówków końskich z punktu widzenia archeologii dokonał J. Jaskanis (1966; 1968). Celem niniejszej pracy jest zebranie dotychczasowych wyników badań nad pochówkami koni na cmentarzyskach z I tysiąclecia n.e. zlokalizowanych na terenie Polski północno-wschodniej, ze zwróceniem szczególnej uwagi na charakterystykę archeozoologiczną odkrytych tam szkieletów końskich.<br>HORSE BURIALS IN THE AREA OF NORTH-EAST POLAND IN THE 1ST MILLENIUM A.D. On the territory of north-eastern Poland in the period of Roman influences and the great migration period there was a widespread burial custom characterizing with the burial of horses. The animals were buried at barrow and flat cemeteries. Barrows were popular in Suwałki region and are dated from the 3rd century to the first half of the 6th. Flat graves from the 1st to 7th centuries were situated in the Augustów Lake District and middle and western Masuria. At the cemeteries as many as 85 horses were buried, 73 of them at the flat ones. In the barrows horses were put into rectangular hollows and their skeletons were situated directly beside human remains, both cremated and inhumed. At the flat cemeteries horses were put into oval hollows. Their graves were separated from human graves and situated in isolated parts of ash cemeteries. At both types of cemeteries in each grave there was only one animal. Only in Tumiany there were also graves of several animals. They may have been connected with the burial of several people at the same time. The skeletons of horses were arranged along the axis north-west/south-east with their heads pointing south-east. Only a few skeletons were on the north/south axis. All animals lied on the bellies with front and hind legs drawn under. This arrangement shows clearly that the animals were buried alive with their legs tied up. Horses were buried in one piece and on their bones there were no marks of intentional acts of cult. All animals whose gender was possible to determine were males. Their age varied. The majority were grown up animals (6 to 9 years old), young (up to the 5th year) and old (over 10) were in minority. However, the age was not a criterion for choosing a horse to be buried. Measurements of height showed that the horses belonged to the classes of small horses (not bigger than 131 cm) and the horses of medium height (132 to 135 cm). The latter prevailed in the region of Suwalki, while in Masuria the small ones were equally numerous. The animals were thickset. Judging from their morphology it is not certain whether they were tame. Scholars assume they were because the graves contained elements of harness and cleaning devices. On leg and spinal bones of some horses pathological changes have been observed. The frequency of those changes is high enough to suggest such a criterion in choosing a particular sacrificial animal. In the majority of cases horses were buried with human males. This leads to a conclusion that animals were buried together with their owners - warriors representing higher class of society. The pathological changes however give evidence against this theory. An animal with such a physical disability could not serve as a good saddle-horse. Those specific burial rites perhaps reflected a specific role played by the person in the community. For example an animal could have been buried together with the care taker of the herd. In that case the criterion of a physical condition of a sacrificial animal seems possible for the animal would serve then only as a symbol. The purpose as well as the circumstances of the burials of horses is a very complex issue which calls for many new sources.