Culture of Andronovo

The culture of Andronovo extends on a broad territory in southernmost Siberia, to northern bank of the Syr-Daria in the south, and of is in west between the chains of the Altaï and the the Ural. The site éponyme is located on the Ienisseï, in Russia. This culture passed by three different periods: the old phase (XVIIè-XVIè S.), the developed phase (XV-XIVè S.) and the recent phase (XIIIè-IXè S.).

The carriers of this culture practiced the cereal Agriculture (Blé and Orge) and a sedentary breeding, which became transhumant in the recent phases. The Cheval was very widespread, and the tribes of Andronovo were specialists in his breeding. They used it in particular to tractor draw tanks with two wheels whose one found examples in necropoles (they constitute the oldest specimens of found tanks). The Métallurgie was very developed. Andronoviens lived a territory rich in various ores, which they exported, in particular at the proto-urban populations of Turkménie (Culture of Namazga) and of Bactriane (archaeological Complexe bactro-margien). They practiced much the metallurgy of the Bronze. The Poterie was rather elaborate in XVè-XIIIè S., around two different styles, emanating from two artisanal centers, Alakul and Fedorovo. With the old phases, the habitat consisted of strengthened small villages. With time, these fortifications disappeared, the habitat was organized, and the villages became circular. The pastors of this culture were the first to be used the Yourte.

The culture of Andronovo is especially known by its burials. Deaths were buried in necropoles made up of kurganes (of the tumuli), whose size varies according to the importance of dead (up to 60 m in diameter for most massive). The culture of Alakul practices especially the burial whereas that of Fedorovo privileges the burial. The company seems to be divided into several classes, and was dominated by warrior-drivers of tanks.

The religious practices are known by archeology. One practiced many sacrifices, during ritual whose archeology found the trace. Fire and water also seem to have summers the object of an important worship. Sanctuaries of the tribes of Andronovo have retouvés summers, in particular with Saimaly-Tach and Tamgaly. They are located in mountainous regions. Many petroglyphs have summers engraved on the rock. They represent scenes of war, of hunting, but also of the ritual ones. One found there the traces of a sun-worship, represented by anthropomorphism. It was identified with Mithra, the god-sun of Indo-Iranian, particularly important for the people of the Steppes.

The culture of Andronovo is most probably Indo-European. It presents by many aspects the features which civilizations Iran iennes will have later on: importance of the horse, the breeding, fire-worship, the sun (Mithra), funeral rituals associating burial and cremation. But it is as probable as one finds there the ancestors of the Tokhariens.

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