Technologies Involved in Manufacturing Wooden Horns for the Ceremonial Masks of Horses from the Pazyryk Tombs in the Altai

We present the results of a technological analysis of details of the horse harness—the most numerous and the most representative category of wooden artifacts found in the Scythian Age (Pazyryk) tombs. Basic techniques and specific operations involved in the manufacturing of horse masks are described. Especially noteworthy are the tops of these masks, fashioned like horns of mountain goats. Such masks were found in nearly all high-ranking burials. We reconstruct the carpentry of the Early Iron Age nomads. Wooden horns, being the principal elements of the horse’s headgear, differ in terms of technique and complexity: some are solid, while others are composed of two and more parts. In terms of size and shape, some horns are robust, and some are thin and elegant. Separate groups include composite horns with sophisticated carved figurines of feline carnivores, bone collets, bipartite semicircular inserts, and leather tops shaped like antlers. The analysis of horse harness decoration from burials differing in status suggests that wooden horns were mostly attributes of the nomadic elite members. Their size, accessory ornaments, and intricacy were markers of social status

Ancient history · Archaeology · French horn · Geography · Ornaments · Ancient and Medieval Archaeology Studies · Archaeology and ancient environmental studies · Historical and Archaeological Studies · Psychology · History