Saltovo-Mayatsk culture

At the beginning of the XX. century, archaeological studies in the Don River and Seversky Donets basin in today's Ukraine and the west of the Russian Federation demonstrated the existence of a high and rich culture that lived in this region between the VIII-X. centuries. The first findings were explored in Saltov, Ukraine and the ancient Mayatsk settlements of the Russian Federation. As a result of archaeological excavations around the Right Bank and Left Bank Tsimlyansk (Sarkel) ancient settlements of the Rostov Region in the lower Don River basin, it was concluded that all the findings belong to the same cultural circle and the culture was named Saltovo-Mayatsk Culture in honor of first findings and the regions where these findings were found. Comprehensive studies of archaeological findings confirmed that the culture was created by the population of the Khazar Khaganate. Khazars, who emerged in the North Caucus as the western extension of Göktürk Kaganate at the end of VI. century, dominated the Eastern Europe steppe belt starting from VII. century and they established a strong military kaganate in the VIII. century throughout the region. The Saltovo-Mayatsk culture had the distinctive features that united the entire population of the Khazar Khaganate under the same cultural circle. The most important of these features were some signs, stamps, runic writings or letters that appeared on castle walls, stones, ceramics, bone objects in every region of the Cultur's lands. Analogies of these runic letters, stamps and signs were found in the monuments of Turkish tribes in Siberia and Altai. Other important features of the culture were burial finds and ceramics. Weapons, belt sets, horse harnesses, horse burials and banquet meals unearthed in warrior tombs had some certain features that defined the culture. The physical properties of Saltovo-Mayatsk ceramics were the same throughout the Khazarian geography, and some of the ceramics was marked with certain tamgas. The forest-steppe zone was defined mainly by catacomb tombs, dolichocephalic burials and the population of the Alans, while the steppe zone in the south was defined by simple round or rectangular pit tombs and predominantly Bulgarian population. The Saltovo-Mayatsk culture of Khazarian Kaganate, which especially prospered along the Don and Donets river valleys, described as a civilization in which creativity and skill flourished. Also, dozens of Khazarian fortresses in the region showed the existence of a strong and developed state system and security net in the early Middle Ages. This whole system and the magnificent culture were demolished and destroyed by the Russian Prince Svylatoslav and his army in 965. Keywords: Saltovo-Mayatsk Culture, Khazar Khaganate, Bulgars, Alans, Khazar Debate.