“THE WISE,” “THE LEARNED,” “THE KNOWLEDGEABLE”: A MAMLUK (?) TIRAZ FROM THE GRAVE OF A GOLDEN HORDE STEPPE WARRIOR (KALMYKIA, RUSSIA)

Abstract

From the early period of its emergence, the Golden Horde forged diplomatic relations and political alliances with the Mamluk Sultanate. These relations were strengthened by the offi cial exchange of opulent gifts containing luxury items during the 13th–14th century. Several primary sources state that the Mamluk gifts included large amounts of silk garments and tiraz bands decorated with epigraphic embroideries. This paper poses a question whether these items can be attested to archaeologically. Although numerous elite burials from the Golden Horde steppe and urban centers contain remains of silk garments, their Mamluk attribution is largely problematic. This paper addresses a nomadic elite burial from the steppe of the modern–day Kalmykia near Bolshoi Tsaryn (excavated in 1977), which contained a silk tiraz with an embroidered inscription that included a royal title and was executed in a style that likely suggests its Mamluk manufacture. If this interpretation of the silk is correct, it may potentially represent not only a piece of archaeological evidence for the abovementioned diplomatic exchange in luxuries, but also shed light on the context of how these precious silks were used and redistributed among the nomadic elite of the Golden Horde.